Missing
by Nature9000
Summary: Tori has worked on the police force since her father's retirement a decade ago. For nine years, the whereabouts of her sister has eluded her, and the only clues to her disappearance has led investigators to suspect kidnapping. The case grows cold until one night, a chance meeting breaks it wide open. What secrets will she uncover, and can she find her sister before it's too late?
1. Silent Child

Broken Trusts

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This story is inspired by one of my most popular stories that I've written, which was in the iCarly fandom. I decided to write this, it's got a similar idea but different circumstances. Please, enjoy. It takes place nine years in the future, which means Tori is 27.

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Chapter 1 (Silent Child)

"Yes mother, I've paid my rent." Tori rolled her eyes and mouthed along to her mom on the other end of the phone. She was busy focusing on the road, and shouldn't be talking on the phone while driving. This was a greater transgression due to the fact that she was driving a patrol car. "Mom, for the last time, I'm working right now."

She peered over her shades and pulled up to a stoplight. Beside her was her partner on the job, Jade Oliver. Jade's hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her police cap was pulled down over her eyes, but her lips were still in a visible smirk.

"For a woman that's estranged, she sure talks to you a lot."

"Not now, Jade." She hadn't seen her mother in nearly six years, which was odd considering how frequently they talked on the phone. Tori took a deep breath and raised her voice with agitation. "I'm driving, mom. I can't talk anymore."

The woman replied with a saddened tone, then hung up. Tori's heart flickered with guilt and she tossed the phone into the cubby space beneath the radio. "I don't know why she even bothers calling me."

Jade crossed her arms and moved her head against the window. "Last time you saw her was six years ago?"

"Yeah, but only briefly. We've been estranged since she and dad divorced and she moved in with Gary." It was a nasty divorce, and it happened nearly nine years ago. The primary reason they divorced was due to her affair, but for the most part, it was Trina's disappearance that got the ball rolling.

"I thought they divorced because of Trina? Your dad even quit his job because she left, right?"

"Something like that." She stretched her arms and curled her fingers around the steering wheel. Her eyes scanned the road once the light turned green and she pushed down on the gas while Jade flipped on the siren. "Trina didn't leave, Jade. There was no sign of her running away."

Throughout her years on the force, Tori came to understand the trademarks of a runaway. She used this to compare what had been left behind the last day she'd seen her sister.

"All of Trina's clothes were still in her room, she left her wallet and purse on the desk along with her laptop. There were too many things that she wouldn't have left behind had she run away." It was hard talking about the subject, but in the nine years Trina was gone, she'd begun to harden herself to the fact that her sister was missing and very likely in a ditch somewhere. "Dad investigated as hard as he could, but that case…it broke him. I've never seen him more discouraged than the day they had to put her box up on the cold case investigations…"

Jade bowed her head and heaved a heavy sigh forward. "I always thought she ran away. I remember Robbie and Andre were really hard on her, and so was I, I know. So I always figured we ran her off."

"That's just it. She was with Sinjin at the time, they were _engaged_. My sister would never walk out on him." Not a day went by that Sinjin gave up hope that Trina was out there. Tori started a career in law enforcement because she wanted to find her sister, but the more cases she worked, the more she had to accept the possibility that Trina was dead.

Thinking about that aspect brought tears to her eyes, which she immediately wiped away. "I don't have the heart to tell him, or even dad, that there's a good chance Trina's gone." Jade's knuckles came up to her right temple and she rolled her concerned eyes onto Tori.

"Why don't you think she's still out there?"

"I have to think like a police officer. As a sister, I can never give up hope, but as a cop? Jade, how many times have we walked onto the body of a person who has been missing for at least a few months? Trina had everything going for her, she was a beautiful, confident woman, and she's been missing for _nine years_."

"Ever know of anyone that would want to hurt her?"

"Except Robbie? Nope." She remembered the harness incident from high school. When she became a cop, she investigated the matter herself despite it being well passed the statute of limitations. She was enraged upon learning that he was not only responsible, but he'd gone out of his way to lie about it.

"Yeah, that twit." Jade started to chuckle and Tori looked away, unable to feel the same fondness or nostalgia that Jade felt.

Aside from Beck, for obvious reasons as being Jade's husband, they didn't keep up with the other friends. Andre left years ago when he entered college, and Robbie left to get a head start on his ventriloquism. Even Cat moved away many years ago, without so much as a word to her roommate.

The girl always did seem to be a drifter.

"Speaking of Robbie. Is there any way to contact him?" Tori pulled up alongside another squad car with its lights flashing. In front of her were several officers standing inside an area marked off by police tape.

"His family lost contact with him, I think. His sister probably knew where to find him."

Frown lines formed around the corners of her lips and she shook her head sadly. "That's unfortunate." They opened the doors and made their way to an officer at the scene. Tori pushed her hands into her pockets and glanced towards the door. "So what's the story?"

"No sign of forced entry. Young mother was washing the dishes when the assailant entered the house. There's a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, and no casing."

Tori followed the officer in, making sure not to touch anything. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Jade was behind them. "Was there anything else found?" Jade asked while stepping carefully into the house. A sad glint shone in the officer's eyes as he turned towards them.

"The five year old child in the bedroom was asleep when the attack happened." He led them into the child's bedroom and Tori's heart stopped at the sight of a pale child on the bed. His lips were bluish in color and there were markings on his neck.

It was not the first time she'd seen a young child murdered at a crime scene, but no matter how many times she saw this, it still kept her from being able to breathe. "Strangulation." She put her hand up to her chest and bowed her head. "Poor child. It looks personal. Let's see the other victim…"

"Right this way." As she followed, she took note of the surroundings. The furniture wasn't disturbed, there were no scratches on the walls or scuff marks on the floor. In the kitchen, it was just as undisturbed, which was a clear sign that the killer had only one thing on their mind.

"Megan Shapiro," the officer stated, "Twenty-four and a single parent." Tori walked over to the girl's body. Megan was hunched over the counter, her right cheek pressed against the surface and blood had pooled beneath her head.

Tori reached carefully for the girl's dark hair and pulled it up to see the gunshot wound. The entry was in the back of the head, towards the bottom of the skull. There was a bruise around the area, which seemed indicative that the weapon was pressed against her head when she was shot.

There was an exit wound on her forehead, so Tori looked towards the walls to try and figure out if it struck anywhere. "You said you found no casing? What about a bullet?"

"CSIs have searched the area, there's no bullet."

"So, the killer made sure we couldn't track down the gun." She pulled her hand back and looked to Jade for ideas. When the woman shook her head, Tori returned to the officer, curious to hear more details. "Who found the bodies?"

"The neighbor. The neighbor noticed the door was open and went to check on our victim." The man motioned out the window and Tori spotted a woman talking to an officer. "We're getting a statement from her right now."

"Good. Now, our victim, what do we know right now?"

"Only what the neighbor has told us thus far. She has no family, her parents live out of state but she hasn't spoken to them in years. The neighbor has also mentioned our victim having a brother, but she doesn't know where he's at right now."

"Robert Shapiro."

"You know the victim?"

"No, but I knew her brother back in high school. We lost touch after graduation…"

On the way home that evening, Tori lamented over the grisly murder scene. It was unlikely she'd be able to work this one without letting her emotions get in the way. Primarily because of her connection to the victim's family.

"Some days I wonder why I gave up singing for this job." It was a tough job to do, being knee deep in blood nearly every other day. She looked forward to getting home, at least there she could get some much needed rest.

Tori passed by the crime scene slowly, as she often practiced driving by the most recent crime scene when leaving the crime lab. This was mainly due to instilling in herself an extra push to solving a crime. The other side of it was due to checking to see if anyone was returning to the scene, this was a tactic she learned from her father.

"Took the job to find my sister. She's out there, but she's not alive-she can't be." If she were, it meant one of two things, Trina could be safe somewhere and just hadn't contacted the family in nine years. This was closer to the running away theory. The other aspect was, if Trina were alive, then whoever took her was keeping her alive.

There was the situation that made the acid inside her stomach churn, and the reason she'd rather believe that her sister was dead after all these years. There were sometimes cases with kidnapping that the attacker kept the victim around for a number of reasons, and Tori didn't want to think about her sister in a helpless situation like that nine years after her disappearance.

Shaking the persistent thoughts from her mind, she looked out to the house and slowed the car to a stop. There was an open area next to the building, followed by a stream with an unstable tree. There was an unusual shape on the tree that caught her eye.

Once she left the car and started for the creek, she was able to make out the image of a small child clinging to the tree and staring down at the water below. The child's ankles were tied, and her wrists were bound to a branch that was beginning to break.

"Hold on!" Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she ran for the child, her eyes were locked on the branch and her heart was pounding with each frantic step.

The child looked up with wide chestnut brown eyes that peered through the sandy brown curls covering her small oval face. When the child moved, the branch started to break some more.

Tori reached out, calling for the child. "No, stay still!" She extended her arms and leapt forward as the branch finally snapped. She propelled herself across the creek and wrapped her arms and body around the child, landing on the other side and striking her back hard against the rocks.

When she looked up, her mind was on the child's safety. She met the girl's eyes and watched as she lifted her wrists. Tori instantly worked at untying the ropes. She wanted to ask questions, but right now the important thing was getting this child somewhere safe.

Her first thought was to take the girl to the police station, but looking into this kid's eyes, something stopped her. There was a familiarity to this eight year old little girl, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"What is your name?" The child's lips sank and her body started to shake. The corners of Tori's lips sank back into her cheeks as the girl wrapped her arms around her neck. "Right, let's get you someplace safe." The girl's eyes looked to the badge on Tori's chest, so she smiled and reached for the badge. "I'm a police officer, you can trust me." She felt the child's body continue to shake, and the grip she had around her neck grew stronger.

How long had this child been out here and who tied her to the tree? She needed to figure this out. She would let this child stay the night in a warm bed and she'd give her some hot soup, then tomorrow she would try and find out what she could.

* * *

I should probably let you know at this point, we _will_ be seeing Trina. We will be seeing the other friends. Not everything is going to be revealed at once, and it isn't completely investigative stuff, though that's a big part of it. Also as it is mentioned, Trina's a big part of the reason Tori has become a police officer, that will actually play a role in finding her. By the way, I should also let you know that aside from that child, and a few minor characters, there are no major OCs. That means even wherever Trina is, the people around will be known to the Victorious realm.


	2. Resemblance

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 2 (Resemblance)

Tori tossed in her sleep, groaning as she pictured Trina in her dreams. It was a frequent thing for her, even to this day, that she couple picture the last day she saw her. _"Should have made her stay. Should've fought harder." _Trina was going to go live with Holly and their future stepfather, Gary. She didn't want to, but it was a heated argument between sisters that caused her to decide to leave.

She never left. Holly went to Gary's without her because she assumed Trina went out for a jog. The truth of the matter was simple, or it was in Tori's mind. Trina was kidnapped from the Vega home, if not her own backyard.

For years she replayed the events in her head, and the last time she ever saw Trina was on the back patio. Her sister never came back inside, but oddly enough, the door to the fence had been closed and locked. It was as if the kidnapper had the key to the padlock.

Whoever took Trina was crafty, clever, and knew how to avoid being detected at crime scenes. Much like the person responsible for Megan Shapiro's and her child's murders. Still, it had to be someone Trina was comfortable with, or else there would have been signs of a struggle. Trina was a fighter, she practiced martial arts and self-defense, and she didn't fight whoever took her.

Tori's eyes shot open and she sat up with a heavy groan. The alarm clock said 4:08, and the room was pitch black. "I really need to start working the night shift. I can never get any sleep." There were good things to say about working the night shift, though for a homicide detective it meant more work.

She swung her legs off the bed and rubbed her cheeks with her hands. To her right was a bottle of Nyquil, she'd been taking it to help her sleep, but it hardly worked for her. It was probably for the best, since she had to take care of her father.

Sixty years old and the man hardly got around anymore, not that she blamed him. There was no more light in the man's eyes, and even with her there, he still acted as though he lost everything. "I should check on dad, make sure he's sleeping well. God knows I won't be getting back to sleep now."

Tori pushed herself from the bed and made her way out of the room. Her father's room was at the end of the hall, and the little girl she rescued was in the guest bedroom next to hers. As she passed the guest bedroom, she could hear light whimpers seeping from the door.

Concerned something was wrong with the child, she turned on the hallway light and opened the door carefully so as not to startle the girl. "Are you okay, dear?" She spoke softly and with a friendly tone, wanting the girl to know she was in a safe place.

The girl's head turned and her eyes widened as she hugged the blanket around her body. Tori flipped on the light and walked towards the bed. The child's long hair was a mess, and her cheeks were red from tears. "It's okay, you're safe now."

When she sat on the bed, the young girl cuddled up against her and threw her arms around her waist. Tori's raised an eyebrow as the child buried her face into her shirt.

She never had children, and certainly didn't think she had the life suitable for a child, so all she knew was from watching Jade interact with her own kids. With a smile, Tori pat the girl's back and peered down at the young girl.

"If you would like, I'll have my friend bring her kids over tomorrow and you can play with them." The girl's trembling body subsided for the moment and her head lifted up from Tori's body. She thought the child was about to say something, and waited with baited breath until the girl tightened her hug.

The following morning, Tori busied herself with eggs, bacon and cinnamon toast. Jade grabbed a slice of toasted raisin bread and bit into it. "Do you usually cook this much?"

Tori dried her hands with a dishrag and looked towards the table. "I don't have kids, so no, I don't usually make breakfast."

At the table, the child was sitting with Jade's children. The oldest was Kyle, and the youngest was Amanda, they were seven and five. The two kids were talking about a cartoon and trying to socialize with the child, but she was leaning away from them and had a puzzled look on her face.

Jade took another bite of the toast and hummed thoughtfully while chewing. "Looks like she doesn't even know what they're talking about. I know the cartoon they're talking about, it's very popular with kids these days…"

"I wonder if she doesn't know how to socialize with other children." She reached for her glass of water on the counter and kept her eyes on the three kids. Kyle was speaking very passionately about the subject, and his hands were flying through the air. Each sudden movement caused the girl to flinch and cower. "She acts very strangely, you might try and get a swab of her DNA and run it through the missing children database as well as Amber Alerts."

"I will. If someone reported her missing, she'll be there." Jade tapped her nails on the counter and shook her head. "I don't think you'll be getting close to her with a buccal swab though, and she doesn't look like she's been to a doctor in years."

"I know. That worries me. If her parents are abusive, then we'll have another issue to deal with." She took a sip of her drink and looked back to the frying pan where two more strips of bacon were cooking. "You know. She won't talk. I don't know if she's able to talk or if she's mute, but she clearly understands what you're saying when you talk to her."

"You said you found her tied to a tree?"

"Yeah."

"Then abuse is a good indicator." The child took a drink from the glass of milk on the table, and both women looked to the glass with triumph. This would be a good way to lift her DNA and test it against the missing children records. "It wouldn't surprise me much if she's afraid to speak."

"I think she can. She fell asleep last night around five, and I thought I heard her say something about her mother. Dreaming, most likely." Figuring out who this child was a matter of great urgency, and as much as she wanted to get a social worker involved in this, something was telling her not to. "I don't know how well she trusts people right now, and she seems terrified. She shouldn't have to deal with social workers right now."

"Beck's mother is a social worker, we could have her help out if you're not comfortable sending her through the system just yet."

From careful observation when Jade arrived, the girl hid away. It gave her the impression that this child didn't trust adults, but for some reason, she would cling to Tori. "This child trusts me, I don't know why, but I get the feeling she won't work well with other adults. Until I can get her to tell me what happened, I would rather work with her myself."

"Just watch her and see if she'll open up to you." Jade walked around the counter and moved her hands down to her hips. "Has Mr. Vega come out yet?"

"Dad's still sleeping. He rarely wakes up before twelve."

"Last few years haven't been kind to him."

"They haven't been good on any of us." Tori pushed her hand along the counter and her shoulders tensed as she moved her head backwards. "How's Beck getting along with his new boss?"

"Fairly well." Beck was a security guard at the Los Angeles First National Bank. His new boss was more laid back than the previous, and he sounded like he was easier to get along with. "He says the work environment is less tense now, so that's a good sign."

"He still wants more action, doesn't he?"

"Every day." Jade laughed loudly. "I cannot hear the end of it when I come home from work. First thing he says when I ask about work is that it was boring, then he goes on about how he'd love to have my job."

"It's a hard job to love."

"But when you solve a case, it's a damn good feeling." Tori smiled sincerely and looked to the kitchen doorway as her father walked in.

His once lush brown hair was now grey and with a heavily receding hairline. His cheeks sagged and stress lines protruded from his lips and sack-like eyelids. When she saw him, her eyebrows rose and her eyes darted to the clock.

"I smell bacon," David marveled, "I was wondering the occasion." He closed his hand and moved it up to his lips as he coughed into it. When he lowered his hand, his eyes fell onto the child at the table and his body froze. "Tori, Jade, who is that?"

"We don't know yet." Tori put one hand to her waist and snapped her fingers at Jade, motioning for her to tend to the bacon. Jade hurried over to the skillet so Tori could talk to her father. "This is the girl I found last night, still hasn't said anything."

"Have you taken her to the police department yet?"

"She seems apprehensive towards adults, so I'd like not to do anything to overwhelm her. I want to get her to be comfortable, so she'll be able to tell me what happened. Jade's going to run her DNA through the system to see if she turns up on any missing person's record or any Amber Alerts."

"Sounds fair." His eyelids drooped a bit further and he swept his hand through his wispy hair. "She looks like your sister…"

"Trina?" In the corner of her eyes, she saw the girl look up to her. She folded her arms and closed her eyes. "How likely do you think that is?" She exhaled and shook her head. "Dad, you have to stop beating yourself up, the doctor says all of this constant dwelling is bad for your heart."

"Everywhere I go, I see your sister. I failed both of my duties, as a father and an officer."

"You did everything you could, Dad. We have got to move on, she'd want us to." With a heavy sigh she returned to the counter and grabbed a plate from the pantry. "How many eggs would like?"

"Two." He hobbled to the table and took a seat at the head. Kyle and Amanda greeted him with open gestures while the child only stared.

Tori plated the eggs as Jade scooped the bacon onto the plate. "By the way, Dad. Mom called yesterday, wanted to make sure we were good on rent and bills. She wanted to wire money to us, told her we didn't need her money."

"Don't know why she wastes her time. Won't even tell us where she is. Why do you even bother?"

"Don't want to cut her off completely." Tori set the plate in front of David and reached over for the girl's empty glass of milk. "I kind of feel sorry for her. She only calls once every few months and sounds worse off than you are."

"Sound I feel good about that remark?"

"Feel how you want to." She smirked and gave his shoulder a light smack before returning to the counter and handing Jade the glass. Jade pushed it into a large Ziploc bag and set it to the side. "Just goes to show she's not happy with Gary and made the wrong decision, leaving you to be with him."

"That woman wouldn't be happy with just one guy anyway. There are things I'd say about her, but there are children present." David smiled at the young girl and leaned forward. "How old are you, dear?"

The girl counted her fingers, then held up eight. When Tori looked, she saw a number of bruises and marks along the girl's arms that made her nauseous. "Looks like you might be right," she whispered to Jade, "About the abuse." Jade nodded and grabbed the bag with the cup.

"Want me to go ahead and run by the crime lab now?"

"Please."

"Okay. You'll watch Kyle and Amanda today?"

"Yes. It might be good for her to have a couple children over anyway, to see if she'll ease into playing with them." She hoped that would be the case, but it might take some time for the girl to ease into socializing with the kids. "If nothing turns up from the DNA, we'll have to think of something else to try and identify her."

"Who wouldn't report her as missing?"

"Abusive parents, possibly. Just go, it should take a few hours to process…"

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Yeah the child's identity isn't going to be one of those hidden mysteries, you'll learn it pretty early on. David's in pretty bad shape it seems like, but that is understandable given the amount of stress he would have endured over the years.


	3. Victoria

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 3 (Victoria)

"She does appear to be comfortable with you." Tori nodded at Rebecca Oliver, Beck's mother and current working Social Worker. Her supervisor, Jerome Banks, a Police Captain rank, three was also there. The child was on the couch, huddled close to her while. Rebecca leaned forward to ask the child a question, but the girl's hand clutched tighter to Tori's shirt and her face moved behind her arm. "I see…"

"Careful Mrs. Oliver, she won't talk to anyone. When Jade came by this morning, she hid from her." The girl looked up to Tori and she gave the girl a warm smile before glancing to her father across the room. "She's been strangely comfortable with Dad too, though she's been clinging to me."

"You said my grandchildren were over as well?"

"Jade brought them to play with her, they're outside. She was watching them before I called you over to bring this child to your attention." The laws stated that the girl would very likely have to go to a group home or somewhere temporarily until they learned who the parents of the girl was, but Tori wasn't comfortable with this. "I'm a little concerned sending her anywhere else right now will be detrimental."

Jerome scratched his chin and started to hum. "I can see where you may feel that way." He pulled his hand away with a sigh and furrowed his brow as the child studied him. "What do you know about her so far? Do you suspect any ties to the Shapiro crime scene?"

"I'm not sure. She was near the area, but I've already mentioned both victims' names, and she did not appear to recognize either. She had a peculiar reaction to the brother's name, however."

When mentioning Robbie by name, the girl hid beneath the blanket on her bed and started trembling as she had been the night prior. She wasn't sure what it meant, and she did ask the girl whether he bore any relation to him and she shook her head no.

"It could be that whoever is responsible for killing our two victims also abandoned the child there. I'm not sure, but that is only one theory I can think of." Tori leaned back and lowered her shoulders as the girl propped her head up onto one shoulder. "I sent Jade to the crime lab to run the DNA with any missing person's record and amber alerts. We're hoping to find something."

"Now I have a feeling wherever she was before, she was met with abuse." She turned to the child and motioned to Rebecca. "If you could show the nice lady your bruises, it may help." The young girl hesitated for a bit, then extended her arms.

Tori placed her palm beneath the child's arm and frowned as Rebecca's hand moved up to her mouth. Jerome clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Well Miss Vega, no children have been reported missing in the last forty-eight hours, we will keep watch if any are released."

"I'll be watchful as well sir."

"Good. Now, do you have any possible thoughts on the child's speech?"

"She appears to be able to talk, I've heard her speak in her sleep and I thought I heard her say something to Kyle and Amanda earlier-but it was a whisper. It's possible she just isn't speaking because she doesn't trust anyone."

Whatever trauma the girl went through, she wasn't sure if getting the girl to speak was going to help much in the long run.

"Okay." Jerome pat his knees and smiled reassuringly at the child before glancing back to Tori. "Since Jade is already working with the DNA, that is good, but we're still going to need some other things on record and on file. Namely her fingerprints, photos of any bruising and identification. Since the child is comfortable with you, I would like for you to retrieve this."

"Yes sir."

Jerome picked up the briefcase beside him and moved it towards her. "Now, please." Tori looked to the child and held her breath as the girl studied the object in the man's hands. "Get a buccal swab just in case, as well. We will wait out here."

"Yes sir."

She guided the child into the bedroom. There was a little concern about whether the young girl would be comfortable with this, but as it was necessary, Tori had to think of a way to make her feel comfortable.

The child climbed up onto the bed and bounced twice while watching her open the briefcase. "Okay." Tori thought back to how Jade often spoke to her children when trying to keep them calm, and used the calmest tone she could muster. "We need to be able to identify you, sweetie. Which means that we need to make a file for you."

The girl's eyebrows meshed together and her lips dropped into a frown. The child peered into the briefcase and pointed at the fingerprint kit. Tori knelt down to the child's level and took her hands while gazing into the girl's eyes.

"That is a fingerprint kit. Did you see what Kyle and Amanda were doing earlier? Finger-painting." The girl's eyebrows rose and her head nodded once. "It's a lot like that. Let me show you." She took a tissue from the Kleenex box on the end table. "Here's what you do, sweetie."

She opened the kit and pressed her thumb down on the ink material. The girl's eyes lit up once Tori pressed down on the tissue and removed her thumb, leaving the residue form her print.

"This will help us identify you so we can send your information to other police departments nearby in case anyone can identify you." She reached into the briefcase and pulled out a long Q-tip with a cap over it. "This will also be used to collect your DNA. None of this will hurt, and if you'd like, I'll do it all to myself first."

The child took the Q-tip in her hands and looked to the cotton top with a studious gaze. Tori folded her arms over her knees and smiled as the girl gently pushed the tip into her mouth and against her cheeks.

"Very good." Tori took the swab and attached the cap, then gently set the item back in place. She then grabbed the paper that the girl needed to put her fingerprints on and placed it carefully in front of her. "Do you see the squares, dear? I need you to do what I did with the tissue, but place your fingerprint inside the squares."

The girl did as suggested and Tori praised her again, which caused the girl's face to light up.

Unfortunately, the next bit was going to be difficult. They would have to document pictures of the abuse on the child, and she didn't know how the young girl was going to react to a camera.

"Okay sweetie, there's one more thing that we need to get done." She took the girl's hands and looked into her eyes. The girl pursed her lips and turned her head to look at the camera in the briefcase. "We need to document the bruises on your body, as well as the marks left behind by the ropes. Will you let me take a few photos for my boss? He's the nice man outside."

The child looked away from the camera and studied Tori's gaze once more. After several seconds the child stood from the bed and proceeded to lift up her shirt. Tori looked on with horror at the bruising on the girl's back and shoulders.

"Did your parents do this to you?"

The girl whimpered and her body tensed as she shook her head. "N-Not mama. B-Bad people." She froze and her jaw fell open as the girl's first words struck her and slammed her heart into the ground. She didn't know who could harm an innocent girl, but judging by the sound of it, it wasn't her own parents.

"Y-You're safe here, dear." She grabbed the camera and started to take the pictures. "I promise you, once we are done here, there shouldn't be much left to do." The girl turned to face her and held her breath. Tori looked up to her, flashing a warm smile as she squeezed the child's hands. "I want you to know that you can trust me. You can talk to me when you feel comfortable."

It was amazing that the child could talk, and as much as she'd like to ask questions, she knew it was best not to push. The girl was going to say what she wanted, when she wanted. "Do you have a name, honey? Something that I can call you?"

The girl wiped her eyelids and her nose twitched. "V-Victoria." Tori's heart stopped suddenly and her lips parted. They turned up after a second and the girl's eyebrows drifted up.

"Victoria? That's a beautiful name, and something we have in common." Tori moved her hand to her chest as the child smiled at her. "That's my full name, but I go by 'Tori'."

She finished up her procedure and walked Victoria out. The girl held onto her hand and walked close to her legs. Jerome and Rebecca were standing, both eagerly awaiting for the two. She handed the briefcase to her superior and looked down to the child.

"We've made some headway as well, sir. She won't say much, but she did tell me two things."

"What are those?"

"Upon asking about the abuse, she stated her mother was not responsible, but that 'bad people' also were." She turned her eyes to David in the corner of the room, he was still studying the child with a curious gaze. "She also told me her name. Victoria." David's head lifted up and Jerome flashed a pleasant smile.

"Very good, and please do inform us if she tells you anything further. I understand that while we need to pursue this, we're also not going to force information from a young child."

Her heart jumped and swelled with hope. "Are you saying that she is to stay with me until we can find the mother?" Jerome pushed his hands down onto his hips and exhaled slowly.

"Rebecca and I have discussed situation, and I do feel that as of right now and until further notice…the child is most comfortable in your presence. Until we've found her parents-"

The front door swung open and Tori flinched as Jade came rushing in. "Jade. You know I have a doorbell." The woman had an envelope in her hand and looked frantic.

"This can't wait. I've got the DNA results." She frowned and looked down at the girl. David let out a heavy sigh and moved forward.

"It was nice while it lasted," He spoke under his breath. "A child around the house would be a nice change of pace." He crossed his arms and leaned back. "So Jade, what did you find out? Is the child on any missing person's list?"

Jade's fingers were trembling and her frantic eyes had fallen onto the envelope. "N-No sir. Nobody has reported _her_ missing." Tori's head tilted to the right and Jade extended the envelope to Tori. "You'd better read it. It's like a ghost. I mean, she shares a maternal connection to someone else in the missing persons database."

"Jade, relax." She opened the flap of the envelope and reached inside. Her heart shot a static pulse through her body as she pulled the papers from the folder. Just the fact that Victoria shared a connection to someone on the missing persons database was alarming, but for some reason, she felt like there was greater cause for alarm.

As she removed the papers fully, she watched the girl in the corner of her eyes. Victoria climbed onto the couch and folded her hands in her lap. Tori pressed her lips together and returned her glance to the results.

When she saw a familiar name, all of time ceased and the wind was instantly knocked from her. The room around her started to crumble and her knees buckled beneath her. "Oh god." She lived her trembling fingers over her mouth and looked to Victoria. It made sense now, why the girl's name was the same as hers and why her father thought the child looked so much like Trina.

"Well?" David barked. "What is it? Your boss doesn't have all day."

"Dad, I…" She was paralyzed from a numb shock that spread like a disease across her body. Her words wouldn't come out of her mouth, and for the first time in her life, she was out of things to say. Many new questions were being raised in her mind, and one thing was certain, this child wasn't going anywhere.

Jerome took the papers from her and Rebecca leaned over to peer over his shoulder. Her lips trembled as the child's chestnut eyes met hers. "Victoria, sweetheart, your mother?" Victoria's lips fell and her eyebrows curled up in the middle. "Is Katrina?" David's eyes widened and his hand flew to his chest. "Is Trina-is your mother still alive?"

The girl nodded slowly. Jerome and Rebecca looked to the child, their bodies relaxed and Jerome lowered the paperwork. She wanted to scream, to fall down and cry at Victoria's gesture.

"Is-Is your father anywhere around your mom?" When the girl shook her head, Tori almost collapsed on the ground. Wherever Trina was, she was clearly still single. It was possible Trina had a picture of her sister, in which case, perhaps Victoria recognized her.

"I think it's clear," Jerome replied softly, "You and Mr. Vega are this child's next of kin. If her mother's still out there, we should find her…"

Tori staggered to the right, cupping her hand over her mouth as her tears ran down her cheeks. "We need to find her fast, Sir. Victoria was found tied to a tree. I-I don't know what shape my sister's in. I'll look after Victoria." She saw her father fall onto the couch next to the girl. The child looked up at him, and upon making eye contact, set her hand over his.

"We'll look after her, and we'll…find Trina."

* * *

So it's settled, the child stays with her. It should be obvious the reason Trina named her daughter after her sister. Looks like Tori and others will need to work fast to figure out where Trina could be. She was taken right under their noses, and by someone she trusted-otherwise Trina would have fought. Start thinking, David will probably mention something next chapter that could prove to be possible motive for a possible suspect that nobody's looked at. Trust me though, the primary kidnappers won't be hidden from the reader. Not for long, at least.


	4. An Investigation Reopened

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: There's a lot of important things that are discussed here in this chapter. As always, but even more now, pay attention to everything that happens and that is discussed.

* * *

Chapter 4 (An Investigation Reopened)

Tori and David took Victoria to the local ice cream shop for ice cream and milkshakes. As the child ate what could very well be her first ice cream cone, Tori watched the girl and studied everything she could. She was still processing the news and what it could mean for Trina.

The more she thought about it, the more her heart broke for her sister and for the hardships this girl must have gone through. "Having seen first-hand the things victims go through, Dad…" She cupped her hand over her mouth as the man's eyes shifted towards her. "I can only imagine what Trina and Victoria have gone through. You didn't see those bruises on the girl's back. Not to mention how thin she is. She eats like every meal's her last."

When Victoria looked up from the ice cream cone, Tori couldn't help but to smile. The child's eyes were wide and excited, and she had ice cream splattered around her lips like the mouth of a clown.

She took the napkin and reached over, carefully wiping the ice cream from the girl's face. Victoria tilted her head up for her and held her smile. "Careful not to eat too fast, you don't want to get a brain freeze." Victoria stopped and looked to the ice cream with a puzzled expression, her eyes studied the part of the cone where melted ice cream was flowing.

David started to laugh, startling Tori. "I can tell she hasn't had an ice cream cone before. She looks exactly like your sister did when she first had an ice cream cone. If she eats too fast, then she'll get a brain freeze but if she eats too slow, it'll melt away." Tori folded her arms on the table and curved up her lips while trying to remember the first time she ever had an ice cream cone.

"I don't think you ever took me out for ice cream when I was growing up."

"I did, but your mother never liked for me to, so I stopped and continued taking Trina out." She furrowed her brow and looked away as her heart pulsed anxiously.

"I used to think Trina was your favorite because of that, or at least, that's what mom always said." She watched Victoria take a giant bite of ice cream, then stop to stare at it with wide eyes. Tori stifled a laugh. "Looks like she just got a brain freeze."

"I tried not to play favorites. It caused so much conflict between your mother and myself that I stopped spending time with the family just to please the woman."

"I remember." She knew the truth regarding Holly, because David told her a long time ago.

Trina wasn't Holly's child. The girl was born out of relationship David had with some other woman, so no matter what she did, Holly always thought David was playing favorites.

"Mom never liked Trina all that much, she didn't even seem to care when Trina went missing." She wanted to investigate her own mother on that aspect, but in legal matters you can't investigate someone on a lack of concern-unless their behavior was suspicious. "She never acted suspiciously, did she?"

"No. She only kept saying Trina would probably show up when she wanted to." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "I loved the both of you equally, but in her eyes it was as if I didn't just value Trina more than you, it was as though I valued her more than even her. Your mother hated Trina as much as she hated the woman that gave birth to her."

"Whatever happened to that woman?"

"I wouldn't know. She didn't want the child, so I insisted on taking my daughter and raising her. Your mother was jealous, but ill feelings doesn't always mean criminal act, as you're well aware of."

Tori cupped her hands together beneath her chin and flared her nostrils as she breathed. "Right." Those ill feelings and the lack of concern for Trina was the whole reason they were estranged from the woman in the first place. "I wonder if we should even tell her about Victoria."

"Right now?" He scowled and shook his head. "I wouldn't." Her gaze drifted out the corners and she rolled her head sideways to turn her view fuller onto him. His hand fell onto the table with a gentle pat and he glanced to his granddaughter. "Trina's daughter is alive, but just the fact that she's Trina's daughter…"

"Wouldn't mom deserve to know?"

"Would she even care? Besides, think about how you found Victoria. If the killer knew she were alive and how to find her-just mentioning it to your mother might cause her to mention it to someone else, and it could get around."

"You're right." She straightened her back and shifted her hands down to the table. She didn't want to do anything that would throw this child's life into jeopardy, more so now that she knew who the girl was. "Who do you think the father is?"

"No idea."

She hoped it would be Sinjin, but things were complicated now. Sinjin never gave up on Trina, but after nine years he was beginning to move on with his life. Mainly at her urging that since he turned thirty-one, he should not continue to dwell.

He was dating someone now that he met at the college he was teaching at, and that other professor was more of a bitch than anyone Tori ever met. Even Jade called the woman a bitch. Still, Tori didn't want to bother Sinjin with it, especially when she was the one that told him to start dating again.

"If Trina's still out there. So many things have changed. Can you imagine if Sinjin was the father?"

"The woman he's with wouldn't be happy." David's hand circled his mouth and his eyebrows flattened down and moved inwards, pushing up a wrinkle between the two. "I didn't think Trina would have been pregnant around then, but Victoria's age seems accurate. Trina went missing nine years ago, the girl's eight years old…it would say a lot that Victoria's dad isn't her kidnapper."

He dropped his hand and looked over with a smirk. "It is…nice to know I _finally_ have a grandkid." Her right eyebrow rose and her lips fell into a frown.

"Finally? What do you mean, finally?"

"Well dear." He put a closed hand to his left temple and turned his head to her. "We all knew you were never going to have kids." Tori smacked his arm and he laughed.

"I just haven't been interested in relationships, that's all. I don't exactly have a schedule that allows for a relationship, much less a full time family."

Truth be told, she wouldn't mind having children, but just watching Jade juggle her professional life with her family life made it appear much harder than the woman admitted. She didn't think she could do the job, but now that Trina's daughter just got thrown into her life, she was going to have to do her best.

"I'm not exactly mother material, Dad." She hesitated and twisted around to him. "And what do you mean 'we all knew'? Who else thinks this?"

"Your best friend, for one." Tori narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Beck and Jade have been over many times and we've discussed the fact that you do nothing but work, work, work."

"So now you're saying I'm a workaholic?"

"Pretty much. You have no social life, sweetheart."

"Says the old man who spends the majority of his day sleeping."

"I'm an old man, I have justifiable reasons. You're a twenty-seven year old woman who would rather spend your days at the crime lab and nights going over every case you're working on."

"Someone has to do it."

At the other end of the restaurant, she saw a familiar woman walking around. It was an old friend of hers, Cat Valentine's former roommate, Sam Puckett. The girl spotted them and began to make her way over. "Hey, fancy meeting you here," Sam remarked, "And who is this little one?"

Victoria shifted away and Tori moved quick to comfort the girl. "It's okay Victoria, this is just an old friend of ours, Samantha." Victoria hummed and leaned her back against the wall. Tori exhaled and glanced up to Sam. "It's a difficult story, Sam. So what are you doing here? Just stopping for something to eat also?"

"Yeah, anything to keep me up. Narcotics has me going undercover tonight, another drug bust." Sam ran her hand over her neck and cracked her head to the right. "It's going to be a long night."

"I hear you." It was Tori that helped her get the job. When Cat left LA, Sam stuck around, hoping the girl would come back, so when she made that decision to stick around she needed a job. Tori pulled some strings with her supervisor, who was good friends with the narcotics department night shift supervisor, and Sam was called in the next day for an interview based off the criminal justice classes she'd been taking in college.

"You know, her grandmother passed away about a month ago." Tori frowned and Sam leaned her shoulder against the wall beside the booth. "Funeral was held and Cat was nowhere to be found. You'd think her Nona passing, she'd hear about it and be there."

Sam never was that close to the grandmother, from what Tori understood. So the fact that she attended the funeral was a surprise. "You went, obviously."

Sam's shoulders rose and her eyes darted to the side. "Yeah well…I was kind of hoping Cat would show up after all this time." Tori looked to Victoria and rolled her head to the right. The girl was gazing out the window, her eyes seemed to be focused on flock of birds flying in circles in the sky. The look on her face was the same that Trina had whenever she was trying to distract herself.

"It's a shame she didn't show."

"Maybe one day." There was a sad note in her voice, but almost instantly she changed to a more serious tune. "Anyway, the undercover narcotics squad got assigned a new team leader."

Tori leaned back and hung her elbows over the top of the seat. "Do tell." She crossed her legs and smiled as Sam pushed off of the wall.

"He's fairly young. Thirty-one or thirty-two, great leadership skills got him the job apparently." Her lips fell open and Sam picked off a piece of lint from her shoulder. "Small town wonders, I guess."

"That would explain it." Sam didn't live directly in LA anymore. She was about ten to twenty minutes out in a town with less than a thousand residents. All Tori knew of it was that mainly wealthy people lived there, as well as a large population of elderly. There were plenty of young people, though, and of course it was so small that drugs were often exchanged out there. It was only within the last few years that the town was forced to start a narcotics squad.

"Jesse Klein. Fairly intelligent, I suppose." Sam crossed her arms and scrunched her nose. "We've already caught a record of people selling drugs with his help."

"You don't sound too thrilled."

"Eh, I'm fine with the guy, just getting tired of the small town. Thought it'd be quieter."

"Yeah." Tori looked out the window and her hand closed slowly. "You're in the wrong career field if you're looking for silence."

"Jade's right." Tori raised an eyebrow and shot a look at Sam. "You're way too serious these days. I mean, I understand why, with what happened to your sister and all, but you have to learn to live too. That's what you've told everyone, even that Sinjin guy, take your own advice."

"My sister's alive, Sam." Sam's eyes widened and Tori moved her arms away from the top of the seat. "New information has come up, and we think she's still out there somewhere. If anyone needs to be serious right now, it's me."

"My god." Sam exhaled sharply and took a step forward. "I didn't know. What do you know so far? Anything?"

"Nothing I can mention here." She glanced at Victoria and Sam's gaze followed. Sam's mouth closed and the lump in her throat fell. "If Trina really is still out there. I'm going to find her." A smile flickered at Victoria's lips and the child looked up to her with admiration. "If it's the last thing I do."

* * *

Okay tell me what you thought of all discussed in this chapter. Also brace yourselves, the next chapter we will see Trina for the first time. Also go in with an open mind because we will not yet see the two main captors, but some people who are _forced_ to be there.


	5. In Captivity

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 5 (Captivity)

In the basement of a small-town mansion, behind a metal door with an iron-barred window was a woman with long brown hair and a face stained with tears and bruises. She stared in silence at the dimly lit chair in front of her, and was humming a soft lullaby.

Her lips were split and chapped, and her eyes bore a dull glow. To her right was a toilet and a sink, one of the only comforts her captors had given to this cell. She was seated on a makeshift bed with dirty covers, and the only light her cell had was a small overhead bulb that cast only a small glow over everything.

Outside the door were voices that filled her with rage and loss. The two men were shouting at each other, one of them proclaiming that he had no choice in the something he'd done.

Her eyes slid to the door, and the shouting quieted down. The sound of the bolt lock sliding out of place echoed through the basement, and when the door began to open, her muscles tensed.

The familiar sweet feminine voice poisoned her ears. "Trina?" She was ready for this. For years her fight had been down, but they crossed a line. The redhead entered, pushing a cart of food inside. "I made you some chicken."

This one was nice to her. She didn't know why, but hell, she didn't understand why the men and this girl were working for her kidnappers. At least they weren't trapped in any cells that she knew of.

Trina's nostrils caught the scent of roasted chicken and minestrone soup. "You need to eat sometime." Her kidnappers kept her alive just to torture her further, and they tortured her daughter as well. Despite her every attempt to fight them, her every attempt to keep them from hurting Victoria, they still attacked the innocent child.

"Leave me alone, Cat." Cat leaned upright and held her breath as Trina hugged herself. On the plate was a small portion of chicken with a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "Why won't you let me starve. Do they want you three keeping me alive?"

"I know you hate us." One of the men not yet in the room spoke up. When Trina's gaze snapped to the door, the dark skinned, strong man of the group entered. She pressed her lips together and flared her nostrils at him. "None of us are here at our own will, you know that. They'll kill us, our families, if we don't do what they say."

The third entered, his dark hair fell before his thick glasses and large nose. The man's face was red with anger, which was reflected in his voice. "They wouldn't kill you, Andre. You're too fucking valuable to them." Andre crossed his arms and bowed his head.

"Yes Robbie, I am aware." For Trina, it was Andre that did what he could, as little as it was. She didn't feel entirely hopeless because of him, and because of the 'deal' that he struck with her captors. "Trina, please. Besides, today's the day I have to take you out to the city. Cat's got the makeup ready, and the outfit, but you need your strength."

"Strength?" Trina saw the glint of the silver knife on the food cart, and her mind instantly flashed to her daughter. "She's gone. My strength is gone." Trina reached for the knife and peered out the corner of her eyes. Andre's eyes widened as her fingers wrapped around the handle. "And it's all your fault!"

She lunged for Robbie, aiming for his throat and forgetting her place. All she knew was blind fury and hate, the one good thing left in her life was taken from her. Very likely, Victoria was dead.

Robbie fell back against the wall, screaming out as her knife came close to his neck. Before making contact, she felt Andre yank her back, throwing his arms underneath her armpits and holding her in place.

Trina screamed in anguish and squirmed, demanding him to let her go. "Trina, stop!" Andre demanded. "Do you want to die?" Trina's eyes grew and a defeated sob fell from her throat.

"What kind of question is that?" What do I care?" Her heart pounded in her chest and each breath that fell from her lips did so with a heavy and violent pace. "My daughter's dead because of him." The knife fell from her hands and Andre released her, letting her fall to her knees. "She's gone! Let them kill me, Andre."

Cat fell beside her, fresh tears appeared in the girl's eyes, and her lips trembled. "Robbie only wanted Victoria to be safe, that's all. He didn't mean anything to happen, none of us did." Trina's hands moved up to her face, and her sobs turned to violent wails. "We planned to take her somewhere safe, they found out and thought it was Robbie's plan. They made Andre kill his sister, Trina."

"Trina." Robbie set his hand to his throat and looked down at her. "I know how you feel. I lost my sister and my niece because of this."

Her heart stopped and she slid her hands away from her face. "You know how I feel?" Cat shook her head and Andre smacked his forehead, muttering about Robbie's stupidity. "You think you know how the fuck I feel?" Trina grabbed the knife again and slammed it down next to Robbie's foot, causing him to scream and jump away. "Nine years. You don't know anything about how I feel, you goddamn bastard! They don't hurt you. They don't hit you, they don't cut you or w-whip you. They do nothing to you except threaten you!"

"Enough." Andre grabbed the knife from her hand, his shout echoed off the walls and silenced her. "Damn it, Trina!" She dropped her head and trembled as a sharp pain swept through her. "Victoria could be alive. We can't tell you anything because we don't want _them_ to get suspicious. Cat and I left Victoria by a creek near the scene, there's been no other body detected nearby. Victoria's probably not dead…"

"But I don't know where she is. I don't know where my baby is." She hugged her abdomen and curled up on the floor, whimpering as her stomach roared with hunger. "I want my baby. I want my baby." She clenched her eyes and let fresh tears run down the side of her face and mix with her hair.

Cat reached for the plate of food held it in front of her. "Please eat, Trina. This is the nicest they've let me cook. I've seasoned it, and I've put everything I could think of in the minestrone."

"She'll eat when she wants to, Cat." Andre set the bowl of soup down before Trina and crossed his arms. She stared at the bowl and closed her fist in front of her face. Her body was weak from the hunger and the abuse, and she'd used much of her energy just lunging at Robbie. "All they really want is to leave her with the food."

"Why?" Trina whined at the three, her chest ached and her body's trembling seemed only to grow worse. "Why are the three of you even here? Tori-Tori would hate you, Daddy would…Daddy would kill you if he knew. How could you betray them?"

"We've told you, it wasn't our damn will. We had no choice. We found out what they were doing to you, and they forced us to help them…or they'd kill our families." He looked away and scoffed. "That woman upstairs, though. She's crazy, she can change her mood at the drop of a hat, we're all scared of her."

"You stand up to her all the time," Robbie remarked, "I hardly think you're afraid of her."

"You know what she's capable of, and so do I. I also know that I'm the muscle." He pointed to his firm chest and flexed his right bicep. His lips stretched into a thin line. "In case something goes wrong, they need me to fight for them."

"You could leave, you could escape and get help."

"I have my reasons for staying." Andre pointed down towards the two women, then crossed his arms. "I'm the only reason Trina's been allowed to see daylight once a month for the last few years. I'm the only reason those two maniacs don't go fucking overboard." Trina looked up at him and parted her lips, breathing in slowly. "And yes, Trina, all three of us are well aware that Tori and Mr. Vega would probably kill us if they knew we were involved. Sinjin too, I think."

"Um I wouldn't bring him up," Cat responded abruptly. Trina gasped aloud and clutched the girl's wrist with violent pressure. She had to know what was meant by this remark, though in her heart she already had an idea.

Cat pulled away with a startled whine and rubbed her wrist. "What happened to Sinjin?" She cried out. "What happened to Victoria's father?" Andre's shoulders dropped and Robbie let out a heavy sigh.

"Nothing happened to him." Cat looked into her eyes and started to inch the plate of food closer to Trina, as if she couldn't see the movement. "It's just. I think he may be moving on with his life."

Her heart stopped for the moment and her aching muscles grew tense. She didn't want him to dwell on her, but she didn't want him to give up. She knew better than to kid herself into believing she'd ever make it out alive, but it would be nice to know or believe that people were looking for her.

"He's gotten married to someone, hasn't he?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"He's dating someone new. She's…a bitch. Kind of like that woman upstairs." Trina's thin fingers slipped over her mouth and she let out a startled cry. "She definitely seems like the type of woman that would keep him from you or Victoria, you know."

The basement door opened and a woman's harsh voice pierced the air and stabbed her ears. "What's going on down there? Feed the little whore and get your asses up here. Trina, you'd better fucking eat. You only get two hours out of the month, the longer you take, the more time you lose from your little outside time. Do not make me come down there and force that food down your throat, because I let Cat use my seasoning and ingredients for that. I do not like wasting money!"

Andre bared his teeth and Trina moved a shaky hand for the bowl of soup.

Her privilege wasn't much of one, but for the past couple of years she learned to value every minute she spent outside. One of the two kidnappers, typically the man would often supervise from afar while Andre sat nearby in the bright café.

She was too scared to try and run, and she had a wire attached to her to prevent her from revealing to anybody that she was in captivity. Because it was Andre that convinced the abductors to give her this small bit of freedom, which was a tiny comfort, she didn't want to piss them off by screwing things up.

She would be caught, she would be struck, and Andre could very well lose his life while she lost her 'privilege'. They would never kill her, no matter how much she would beg and plead for death, they wouldn't do it. They used to use Victoria against her, and that was the one thing that kept her from wanting to die so she could protect the girl, but without her daughter she didn't know what to do.

Seated at a café table in the back of the room, Trina stared out the window with easy breaths. She wore shades, a purple turtleneck and jeans. During these times out, she was allowed to take a shower and clean up, Cat would have to use conceal the bruise on her face, and tended to clean up her hair.

"Hey." Trina flinched and looked up as a familiar man walked to the table. Her lips curved into a weak smile as he man sat down. He had dark hair that curled around his ears and flowed in waves past his chin. His brown eyes were warm and inviting, and his smile was the one thing that seemed to be as bright as the sun outside.

"Hi Jesse." Her eyes moved over his shoulder to Andre, seated several tables away with magazine in his hands. He knew of Jesse, and so did the male captor who supervised, but they did nothing about it. If the woman knew, then there might be a problem.

"Here again this month. I always wonder if there's something special about this place to you."

"Oh you know, it's just the one place I really feel…comfortable." She had to be careful what she said, because she knew he worked for the police. Narcotics, to be exact. She ran into him two years ago when Andre brought her to the café, and for a few months, he always seemed to notice her seated. One day he decided to talk to her, and now he was the only thing she had to look forward to in what bleak life she had.

His eyebrows meshed together and his lips curled into a frown. "Is everything okay at home?"

"Nothing to do."

"Where's your daughter? She's usually with you, or is she with her father?"

"Her father's out of our lives now…" She held her breath and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to say without giving away what Andre and Cat had done. That said, she couldn't give away her situation to this man. Just the fact that he was in with law enforcement was enough to make the male captor sweat. The only reason the guy allowed this monthly interactions was out of his own guilt, and the fact that this was the one thing that he could control.

"I should have brought Victoria along, she's always talking about you." Jesse laughed once and smiled back at her.

"Well, the little tyke is a joy to see as well." He looked to her empty coffee mug and motioned to it. "Would you like a refill? Caramel Macchiato?"

"Yes please." Her heart skipped and she watched him with longing as he took the mug and walked towards the counter. _"If only I could tell this man, maybe he could save me." _ Jesse didn't recognize her from any missing person's report, but she was under disguise. She was allowed to use her name, Katrina, but it would be rare for anyone to put two and two together after so long, especially in such a small town.

When he returned, she perked up and smiled as the scent of fresh coffee warmed her nostrils. "You know what, Katrina? One of my coworker's friends recently took in a young girl. Not much was said though."

"Interesting." She lifted the mug up to her trembling lips and let the coffee delight her taste buds while the steam cleared away her sinus. "What coworker was this?"

"Samantha. Don't know if you've heard of her though. Sam Puckett." Her heart pulsed and her fingers tensed around the handle of the mug. She saw Andre lift his head and raise an eyebrow.

"I um, I can't say I know the name." She fought back a sob and looked away, concealing the tears in her eyes. If this man knew Sam, then there was a good chance Sam might know Jade-who would clearly still associate with Tori.

What were the chances of him reaching out to them? More than ever she wanted to tell this man to save her, to take her away, but even Andre would stop them if that happened.

Forced or not, Andre, like Cat and Robbie, was still a patsy. She looked down to the coffee and heaved forth a depressive sigh. There was enough time to finish the coffee, and that was it. Jesse usually understood when she had to leave, though he often seemed like he wanted to talk more. She wanted to as well, she hated having to go back to that house of horrors.

Still there was nothing she could do, and if she wanted to keep her 'privilege', she had to do as expected of her. Now that she knew this man might have a connection to Tori, to her father, she had to think of a way to make him know she was in danger. A way that wasn't obvious, like writing a note was obvious, as was erratic behavior.

As small as it was, she had a new fire, a new desire to escape. She'd tried to escape many times in the past, but she stopped when they started to attack Victoria as a result. If she only knew whether or not her daughter was truly safe, then she'd determine if survival or escape were truly worth fighting for.

No matter how much light these occasions out of the basement were, or the interaction with Jesse, it was her daughter that had been her primary light. If Victoria were dead, then she may as well give up whatever hope there could be, because there would be no more light and no more point to survival.

* * *

So, a lot has happened in this chapter. Tell me what stood out to you, what are your thoughts? Indeed those other three are forced to be there, and watched like a hawk by the two primary captors. Andre is the only one that could likely fight them at this point, but there's far too much risk involved. Maybe not all hope is truly lost, however.


	6. Examining the Crime Scene

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 6 (Examining the Crime Scene)

Tori returned to her old house and was let in by the people living there now. What she needed to do was gain a feel for the crime scene once more, and there were two places that she needed to investigate. She brought Jade along with her, and the couple living in the house stepped out of the way for them.

The first place they checked was the backyard. It was still the same as it had been. The yard was a small square perimeter with a small pond at the right hand corner. The patio had a single crack in it, and four corner pillars that held up a roof.

"There's your old pool and hot tub." Jade pointed to the covered pools and Tori nodded. The plastic tops were covered in leaves and grass. "New residents must not be using it."

"Yeah. It's so weird stepping out here again." She pushed her hands to her hips and walked to the gate. They still had the metal padlock attached to the door, but it was currently unlocked. "I think we can assume the abduction happened out here and not her bedroom. This was the last place Trina was."

She removed her shades and looked to the lounge chair on the patio, it was similar to the one they used to have. Tori visualized Trina sitting there with a book and an angry expression. "The last time I saw her, she was sitting on the patio, reading a book. Trina said she would leave at the end of the day to move in with Holly and Gary."

"Right." Jade extended her arm to the gate and her eyes slanted. "The kidnapper enters through the gate. They have a way to unlock it." Tori sat on the lounge, getting a feel for the victim's final moments.

"She hears them." She lowered her hands as if putting down the book and looked towards the gate. "Now at this point, we know Trina would confront them if they were a stranger trying to break in. We have to assume also that the kidnapper would have a key, unless they were skilled at picking locks."

Jade moved to the gate and walked forward. "So if I'm the abductor, and I know Trina, then I would simply have to coax her into going somewhere with me."

"She's already in a bad mood." Tori crossed her arms and rolled her head back. "Trina's on the defensive, but she also doesn't want to be here." Tori vaguely recalled Trina walking off the patio. "The glass doors are thin, I know it's possible to hear what's going on outside. Trina never screamed, she never called out, she simply left." Tori extended her arms and looked over her shoulder. "Crime scene looked exactly as it does now. When Dad investigated, he checked for fingerprints, foreign material, and any other evidence that would imply that Trina either tried to fight off her abductor or that someone else entered the yard."

"And nothing was found." Jade opened the gate and motioned to the driveway. "The abductor's parked in the drive, all Trina has to do is get in and drive away."

"Something she wouldn't do _unless_ she knew who the person was."

"Who had access to your backyard? Which of them isn't accounted for?"

Tori rubbed her chin and leaned against the fence. "Dad was in the study. Mom was upstairs in her room, getting packed and ready to leave. I know Sinjin had been given a key at this point to the yard, Trina trusted him with that."

"And where was he?"

"At home, helping his sister with homework." Tori looked over to the garage door and whisked her hand away with a sigh. "The possibility that Trina just up and left on her own was considered for a while, but her car was left inside the garage. Her further belongings were in her room. I know Dad had to work to prove it was an abduction, because there were questions that she might have gone out for a jog, but she only does that in the early morning, and she wasn't suited up for a run."

"She worked too, right?"

"Yes, she'd recently got a part time job at the college athletic department. She never returned to work."

"Think back Tori, did anyone else have access to the back yard?" She bowed her head and stared down at the grass with a thoughtful expression. There was only one person she knew of that wasn't accounted for. They found no evidence linking him, and he said he was at home going over case reports for work.

"Gary Malone. Mom's boyfriend at the time." She lifted her head and grimaced at the thought of Gary taking Trina. Her stomach couldn't hold the bile well. As a cop she understood many times the perpetrator might be somebody close to the victim, even family themselves. As the sister of the victim, she didn't want to believe that any of the people who had access to the yard could have taken Trina. "But Trina wouldn't have gone with him."

"You did say she was pissed off and planning to move in with Holly and Gary, so with that said…If Gary showed up and offered to give her a ride? He could have persuaded her to leave with him." Still something was off. Unless Trina were going for a jog, she never went anywhere without her purse.

"Would she have gone without collecting her things. That's what bugs me about this entire theory." She looked to the fence and narrowed her eyes. "Even pissed off, she would have told this person to let her grab her purse."

"If Gary came by to pick her up, he could have said Holly would grab the purse for her. Is that believable?"

"Trina was the one dad trained to be a cop first, she would have been skeptical of Gary bringing that up." There was something more to it, there had to be. Even when Gary was questioned, there was no evidence Trina would have ever been at his house. "Something's missing."

"Maybe we're looking at the wrong angle?" Jade walked up to the fence and peered up at the second floor window. Tori followed her gaze and felt her heart beginning to sink.

"Mom had been staying in the guest bedroom upstairs for months, unable to stand being in the same room as dad." As they studied the window, the could see the woman of the house cleaning the room. The woman stood at the window and waved at them. "Holly has a perfect view of the entire scene."

Jade turned her head and lowered her voice. "You said she was in her room, packing? Her room was the guest room?"

"She failed to mention if she saw anything, but the investigator at the time didn't question her about the window and Dad didn't think about it." As she wrapped her mind around the possibility of her mother being involved, she found herself overcome with the stress. "If she saw something, then why would she not bring it up? That makes her suspicious."

"Is there any reason that she would be involved in her daughter's disappearance?"

"Dad mentioned something the other day, but I've already known this." Her finger brushed along her chin and she paced to the right. "Trina had a different mother, Holly was her stepmother."

"You're calling her by name now?"

"I need to focus on the crime scene, Jade. I have to put personal connections to the wayside, you know that." She lowered her hand and studied the driveway carefully. "Holly didn't like Trina for this reason, she thought her husband favored Trina over everyone in the house-including her. When Trina vanished, Holly was nonchalant."

"I remember that. We all talked about it too, Holly didn't act at all like a mother who just lost her child. She seemed almost happy."

"Yes, but without evidence to go off of, you can't investigate solely off odd behavior." Tori looked back to the window and folded her arms over her chest. "But we need to know if Holly saw something, and if she did and she withheld that information from the original investigators or Dad, then _that_ makes her suspicious."

"If anything, it makes her an accessory." Police stop investigating a kidnapping charge after a certain number of years, unless there was new information or a body was found. In this case, it was a kid that was involved, and if Trina was pregnant at the time, then the charge was for two people instead of one. "Then Holly's responsible for letting both her daughter and granddaughter get taken. If she saw anything at all."

"We need to question her, but all we have is a phone number. I would like to get her in person."

"Maybe she'll agree to come in? Play the part of the ailing mother again, tell us why she failed to come forward if she truly saw anything." Jade walked towards the patrol car and leaned up against it. "We'll also have to question all the old witnesses, see if the story changed any."

"Right, we need a firm grasp on Trina's activities that day. There was a reason she was in a bad mood, and it wasn't the fight between us that caused it. Something else caused her to be irritable, and the argument we had was the breaking point."

"So her anger boiled over with that. I was thinking, she had to be pretty bad off that day to decide she was going to move in with Holly and Gary." Tori leaned to the right and furrowed her brow at the girl. "Beck, Andre, Robbie, Cat, and I all saw how much she didn't want anything to do with either of them. Just because we ignored her didn't mean we didn't notice."

"She and Holly had a lot of conflicts, so you're right, she would never have made that decision in the heat of the moment. Something's _definitely_ off." They might have to look at Holly now as a potential suspect, and not just a witness.

"How many conflicts, and what kind of conflicts? Can you think back to that?"

"Yeah." She made her way to the patrol car, thinking on all the arguments Holly and Trina had. "It got violent sometimes. Holly would even go so far as to call her a whore, primarily because she associated Trina with the birth mother. I don't remember it ever getting physical, I just remember sometimes Holly would sit there. She'd be pissed off and you'd know it, but she'd be extremely calm."

"Calm pissed, is the worst kind of pissed a person can be." Jade opened the door and entered the car. "Did she ever display any other irrational, erratic behavior?"

"Mood swings. She could go from happy to angry, to sad in a split second. Literally violent mood swings, she was so unpredictable there was no way of knowing exactly what she'd do."

"Then I think you know what's next."

"Yeah, we need to question her, get her side of things. If she says she saw someone with Trina, we need to know why she didn't bring it up." There was only so much they could do, and without a body and the best witness still not comfortable talking about the trauma, any evidence they found would be circumstantial at best.

She waved at the couple as they stepped outside to say their farewells, then entered the vehicle. Her lips fell into a frown and she made eye contact with Jade. "If Trina is in fact, still alive…we need to investigate fast. If the kidnapper becomes aware that we're opening up the investigation, it could throw Trina's life into jeopardy."

"Then we'll be dealing with a homicide."

"Pray it doesn't get that for. We could still be dealing with one, but for Dad's sake and Victoria's, pray it doesn't get that far." She shifted the car into drive and took a deep breath. "We're in for a hell of a ride."

* * *

I'll say. So Holly might've seen something, or she could very well be a suspect herself. If she is, she would have had someone else do the dirty work since she was upstairs packing. What are your thoughts seeing the crime scene? You think Trina willingly went with anyone, especially if it was someone they didn't trust? She left the yard willingly, do you suppose the area around the yard could be where she was taken or was she taken from another location?


	7. A Child's Father

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 7 (A Child's Father)

Tori made her way to the faculty building on the university that Sinjin was teaching at, and with her was Beck and Victoria. Jade was busy and Beck just got off work, so he volunteered to tag along when Tori mentioned wanting to have somebody there to keep Victoria busy when she talked to Sinjin, on the offhand chance that Sinjin or his girlfriend rejected the idea of his having a daughter.

"We're hoping what, Juliet isn't here?"

"Yes Beck." She opened the door and held it so he and Victoria could enter. "And Juliet is her middle name. Do you remember those Northridge girls way back in high school that owned the karaoke place?" He raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin beard.

"Vaguely."

"Haley Ferguson and Tara Ganz. It's Haley Juliet Ferguson." His jaw dropped and Victoria turned her head up to him. "Those are the girls that tried to ban Cat and Jade from the karaoke place, and I disguised myself so I'd be picked when they made some sort of bet."

"I can't believe Sinjin's dating _her_." He looked to Victoria with a frown. "Victoria, it would appear the man that may or may not be your father is dating a mean-spirited woman from our past." Victoria yelped and Tori rolled her eyes.

"You're joking, but don't tell her that!" Tori knelt down to eye level and smiled sweetly as she brushed the girl's hair back. "Don't worry sweetheart, Sinjin is a very nice man. All you need to worry about is him, if he is your dad. We don't know for sure if he is your daddy or not, and that's why we are collecting his DNA. Okay? Do you understand?"

Victoria's head rolled to the right and she started to nod. Tori stood up with a heavy sigh and motioned Beck to start walking.

Arriving at Sinjin's office, they found the man sitting at his desk and surrounded by boxes full of books. He was hunched over the paper, his gaze was fixated madly on what he was writing.

Tori crossed her arms and studied him, sliding her eyes along his long curly blonde hair and his thick moustache. He was wearing a brown sports jacket and brown slacks. He appeared far too busy to look up from his desk, and his forehead had two stress lines across his forehead.

She peered down to Victoria. The young girl was gazing at him with wondrous curiosity. Tori felt a sudden wave of guilt and gave the girl a gentle squeeze on her hand, earning an eager look from her. "Victoria, would you be okay waiting with Mr. Oliver in the hallway?" Victoria looked to Beck and hesitated briefly before leaving with him.

Tori walked forward and set the portable DNA kit down on Sinjin's desk. The man raised his head from the paper and furrowed his brow.

"Tori, hello. You didn't call, and I'm a busy trying to grade these essays before the end of the semester."

"You've got time." She flashed her badge and Sinjin leaned back in his chair. "I'm reworking my sister's case. I need a sample of your DNA as well." Sinjin's eyes fell to the portable machine she had and his eyebrows tucked up beneath his curly bangs.

"I will be more than happy to help. Have you found a new lead on Trina's disappearance?"

"I think so." She took a seat and watched as he set the pen down and folded his hands together. He looked into her eyes and the corners of his lips curved up. His shoulders were relaxed and he bore no sign of anxiety. When she looked to his hands, the sight of a gold band around his ring finger made her catch her breath. "I um, I can't go over the case exactly, but I'd like to ask you a few questions. Just to get a sense of what Trina's day was like when she disappeared. I know you two were together that morning, did she seem temperamental at all that day?"

"Not that I can recall." Tori's eyes shot back from the ring on his finger and she crossed her legs. His fingers separated and his mouth fell into a frown. "We talked about our engagement and whether we were truly ready because both of us were still dealing with college."

"Okay. Of course, around the time of her disappearance, you were with your sister?"

"Helping her with a science project, yes." Courtney confirmed this back then, and she'd also inquired of the girl over the phone earlier in the day. So far, Sinjin's story was consistent with his statement years ago.

She always was told by her father, and by those who were a sort of mentor to her, that a person always remembers the truth. A person caught in a lie will change their stories so many times because they cannot remember a lie as well as the truth, but she never once accused Sinjin of any involvement in Trina's disappearance.

"You talked about your engagement? Anything else?"

"Well." He curled his fingers inward and his lips closed together. He looked up to the left, recalling the conversation the two of them had. "I remember she did seem upset about something, but wouldn't say what. She didn't seem all that angry, though."

"What was she asking about?"

"Kids." Tori's heart stopped and her eyes slid to the door. Could Trina have suspected she was pregnant at the time? There was never any evidence found to indicate she would have suspected or known. "I said I wasn't ready for children, and I didn't want any while I was working on a degree." He rubbed his neck and let out a deep exhale. "Probably a mistake on my part, because she just grew silent and left without saying anything. It was the last time I saw her that day…"

"I see. Can I go ahead and get your DNA? I brought this kit from the lab." He nodded and let her collect the sample she needed. It was just a simple swab of his cheek, the results should come by quickly based on what she was looking for. "What are you packing for?"

"An archeological expedition." He looked towards the boxes with a frown and closed his eyes. "I've been hired as the resident professor, we'll be travelling the globe for about five, six years." His lips curved up momentarily and his hand swept through his hair. "You told me I needed to move on, live my life, and I guess I should thank you for that."

Her stomach twisted and she felt a rush of anger and desire to scream that she'd been wrong. As tears came to her eyes, she cleared her throat and pointed to his ring. "What's that, by the way? Will Haley be joining you?"

"She's insisted she comes along, so yes. And this is an engagement ring." Paralysis struck her body like a shot of lightning, her lips parted and she struggled to form a sentence. "Haley wants an Egyptian wedding." His eyebrows moved in and pushed up a wrinkle. "I um, it's really difficult for me, but I've given it some serious thought. I feel like this is what Trina would want for me."

"When do you leave?"

"End of the summer term." This was only a few weeks away, which made things hellish for her. She couldn't bring herself to tell him Trina might be alive, even when she didn't know for sure. Now, she questioned whether or not to tell him he could very well be a father.

Knowing Haley, there wasn't a chance in hell she'd let him have any time with his daughter. Still, she had to think on it. "Is this something you want? The trip?" If he knew he had a daughter, he might not leave, but then Haley would start shit that everybody knew she would. The girl wasn't as bad as Holly had been to Trina growing up, but she was still terrible. "And Haley?"

He curled a finger over his lips and chuckled softly. "She might want the trip more than I do. I'm looking forward to the career move, but she's already started planning every little detail of what we'll do in our free time."

"For the next five years?"

"Crazy. She's crazy."

"Just be careful, Sinjin…" The kit let out a chime, signaling the DNA had been compared. She took a deep breath and set the box in her lap and planted a hand firmly on the top. "I know I told you to move on, but I very well could be wrong. I mean, what would you do-"

A shrill voice stung her ear and made her flinch. "Hello." She turned her head and saw a tall woman entering the room. Her sandy brown hair framed her face and fell over her shoulders, she was thin and had frown lines protruding from her lips. "Who's child is this outside?"

Beck and Victoria poked their heads in and Haley's hand slid away from her hip to point at the two. "This is a university, we do not have time for little brats making noise in the hallways." Tori clenched her teeth and shot up from the chair while Sinjin merely bowed and shook his head.

"Haley, Tori is here on police business."

"I'm sure."

Tori narrowed her eyes and stormed for the woman, growling under her breath as their eyes connected. "I know you did not say those words about that girl."

"I said what I meant. Children are nothing but insolent distractions." Tori clenched her fist, resisting the impulse to strike Haley. Sinjin stood up and narrowed his eyes at the woman, but he didn't get a chance to speak.

Tori spun directly around and motioned towards the woman. "And this is the woman you want to marry now? How could you go from Trina to _this?_" Haley scoffed and put her hand to her chest, but Tori cut the woman off before she had a chance to shoot off another smart remark. "And don't think for a moment I care if I've offended you in some way. My sister will always have been more of a woman than you."

"So much for professionalism."

"Oh ho, don't even get me started." She laughed and brushed past the woman, storming out of the room. For the moment, she was done with Sinjin. He called out, asking about the results of the DNA scan, but she brushed him off. "Have a good time abroad, Sinjin."

When she stopped in the hallway, she turned around and her heart sank in her despair and sorrow when she saw Sinjin and Victoria looking directly at one another. His eyebrows rose and he asked the child's age, but it was Beck who answered that she was eight years old.

Victoria looked up to her with sad eyes that melted her heart. Haley scoffed again and slammed the office door, causing the young girl to scream and cry. Immediately Tori hugged her and tried to calm her.

"It's okay Victoria, it'll be okay." She whispered softly and ran her fingers through the girl's hair. She began to sing a gentle lullaby, one that she heard Trina sing to her when they were young children. A song she'd been taught by her grandmother, one lullaby sung by Celine Dion.

"My precious one, my cherished one, my weary one it's time to go to sleep." Tears clung to her eyelids as the girl's trembling began to slow. "Just bow your head and give your cares to me. Just close your eyes and fall into the sweetest dream, cause in my loving arms you're safe as you will ever be, so hush my dear and sleep…"

Victoria put her head to Tori's chest and Tori inhaled sharply. "In your dreams, you'll ride on angel's wings. Dance with the stars and touch the face of god, and if you should awake, I'll send you back to sleep. My precious one, my tiny one…" The child ceased her trembling and closed her hands around Tori's shirt.

Behind her, Beck picked up the DNA kit. She looked to him with slight disapproval. "Beck, you shouldn't mess with that. You're a security guard, not a homicide detective."

"Yeah, but you weren't checking for a murder."

She closed her eyes and felt the girl's arms wrap tightly around her. "I know, and I know what the results are going to say." She had a feeling they were positive, and now she was lost as to what to do. "There's no way that woman in there would ever let him-and if Trina's still alive…if we can find her…that woman will be too much."

Beck opened the box and stared at the results from the analysis. His hands began to shake and frown lines embedded in his cheeks. "I-I couldn't help but to overhear, he said he was going away for several years."

"That's right." She stood up and let Victoria's hand close around hers. "Right now, I have no idea what to tell him." Tori grabbed the kit from him and looked towards Victoria with a smile, watching as the girl wiped her eyes. "That woman has no right to talk about this sweet angel, Trina's baby girl."

"No she doesn't."

"Let's go. I have more work to do." She ran her hand through Victoria's hair. "You did nothing wrong little one. I'm sorry you had to see that. Aunt Tori's here for you." Victoria leaned her head against Tori's leg and closed her eyes. The child's body relaxed and she smiled softly. "We're going to find your momma, don't you worry."

* * *

your thoughts?


	8. Closer to the Truth

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I know I haven't been updating the other stuff but that's cause I've gotten so into writing this that I've only worked on this. By the way I meant to say in chapter 6, the investigations with Jade and Tori are inspired by two of my heroes on the reality show Cold Justice. Yolanda and Kelly, you should check it out, they investigate actual cold cases and work to solve them. The show is on TNT

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Chapter 8 (Closer to the Truth)

Going through files was a tedious process, especially when they were all she had to go on. She had to work late, giving Victoria some time with her grandfather, and was going through all the evidence and witness statements. One in particular bothered her a great deal, and that was a statement from Robbie Shapiro. She was fretting over the inability to locate him.

Even the team that was now handling the Shapiro murder still couldn't get a hold of him due to his own parents having little idea where he was. "It's as though you've fallen off the face of the earth." Tori grabbed her coffee mug and brought it to her lips.

The problem here was that Robbie was one of the last few people to interact with Trina that day. Reading over his statement was something that caught her eye. Tori set the mug down and read the sentence aloud to better let it sink into head. "Yes, I got into an argument with her, but it was mainly aggression on her side. She was outside the maternity ward at the hospital where her mom works, and I made a comment about the possibility of her being pregnant. She lashed out at me and threw my puppet down the hall." He hadn't known about her engagement with Sinjin, so it was just another opportunity to mock her.

With curiosity getting the best of her, she skimmed through the remaining files and could find nowhere else where the possibility of Trina being pregnant came up. It could have been that the original investigators only figured Robbie was making an assumption since Trina didn't confirm that's what she was there for.

She looked to the black purse in the evidence box and twisted her lips. Something was pulling her to the object, so she grabbed it out and began to unload it piece by piece. She came to a torn sheet of paper with a name and phone number scribbled down as though Trina was in a hurry.

"What's this?" The name belonged to one Carolyn Summers, but there was no identification. On impulse, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number, hoping that the same person still had the same number. She was amazed when a woman with an aged voice answered. "Is this Carolyn Summers?"

"This is she."

"I'm Detective Tori Vega, I'm looking through evidence on a cold case that involves a kidnapping. Your number was found in the victim's belongings." The woman hummed for a moment and responded with the same calm voice.

"Yes, I am a counselor at South Pines Woman's Shelter." She grabbed a pen and wrote down the name, then promptly asked for the address. She recognized the name, it was the small town where Sam had gotten a job on the narcotics team. "It is on Maple drive, three doors down from the Pines Lutheran church, you can't miss it. However my shift is about to end, but there is a café nearby we can meet and I will be more than happy to help with the investigation. Who does it concern."

"A woman by the name of Trina Vega. I believe she may have either made an appointment with you or tried to get in touch with you nine years ago on or near July 23rd, 2014."

"Yes, I recognize the name."

"Thank you."

It did not take long to get into town, and David was more than happy to spend some more time spoiling Victoria by taking her to the park. This was good, because now he was getting out of the house more.

The café was the only one in town, just a short drive it appeared from a large mansion in the distance. She wasn't certain why, but the mansion seemed to be of importance.

She met the counselor in one of the back booths and was grateful the place wasn't crowded. Tori ordered a cup of herbal tea and let the warm steam soothe her.

"I believe I spoke to Miss Vega once or twice," Carolyn's eyes wrinkled and her friendly smile pulled up into her cheeks. "I remember her because her as I remember everyone."

"Can you tell me what she was looking for in a woman's shelter?" Just the fact that Trina had been seeking one was disconcerting. "Also, it doesn't seem that any investigator spoke to you in the past."

"They did not. You are the first I have spoken to about her decision. She seemed to be a strong woman and showed no desire to run away, but she wanted our help nonetheless."

"Did she give you any indication that she might be afraid of someone? Maybe she was trying to hide away?"

The elder curled her fingers beneath her chin and closed her eyes, humming softly. "She contacted me first thing after leaving the hospital, I believe, and then she drove out to the shelter to discuss what was going on. I do believe she was worried because she discovered she was pregnant, and was afraid that the father might not want the child-but she had not told him yet. I suggested that she talk to the father, but I do not know if she ever did."

"Okay." Tori wrote the information down and brought the tip of the pen up to her lips, chewing absentmindedly on it. "What else was discussed?"

"She was afraid of her stepmother, I believe." Tori lowered the pen and frowned. The woman sipped on her drink and exhaled slowly. "Poor girl didn't want to be in that 'madhouse', as she called it, or anywhere that woman could find her. I think she was afraid for her unborn child."

"Why?"

"She told me that woman said she didn't deserve to be alive, that she shouldn't be the object of her father's affections. To that extent, she'd been told by her stepmother after announcing her engagement that she hoped any child she had would be stillborn."

It was a great deal to take in, but Tori wrote it all down regardless. More and more it looked as though her own mother were responsible, or at least involved in some way.

"You're her sister, aren't you?"

Tori's eyes drifted up from the notepad and she nodded. "Yes. We think Trina may still be alive. It's hard hearing that my own mother might have something to do with it, but I need to think like a cop and distance myself from those personal relationships."

"Don't forget who you are, though, or what Trina thought of you. She spoke highly of you." Her heart lifted and she smiled appreciatively at the woman.

"Thank you." Something still wasn't adding up. If Trina were truly terrified of her mother, she'd terrified of Gary and would not leave with him or with Holly. Not to mention, what Trina said during their last argument about leaving to live with them must have been done on impulse. "One last question, to sate my own curiosity. Did she ever talk about her birth mom? Even my dad doesn't bring her up much."

"I think she said something about wanting to track the woman down, but she seemed to feel the woman wanted nothing to do with her." Carolyn's finger tapped her upper lip and she rolled her head to the right. "On second thought, I think she said she found the woman and wanted to stay with her."

Tori wrote the information down, then stopped halfway through the sentence, remembering Trina's angry words during the argument. _I'm going to go stay with Mom._ Not once did Trina ever refer to Holly as her mom, not since learning the truth at a very early age.

With this information, Tori had to assume Trina found her mother, or someone to take her there. _"I won't know until I can get Holly to tell me if she saw anything or not."_ She hardly expected honesty from the woman at this rate, so she had to plan the questioning strategically. Of course, the first thing to do there would be to ensure Holly was in town.

In order to learn more about Holly, she knew the next person to question would be her dad. It was likely he never even thought Holly capable, so this would be hard on him and she wasn't sure how to handle this in a way that wouldn't destroy him.

Nothing implicated Holly yet, she had no physical evidence linking the woman, but that didn't mean suspicion didn't fall on her. Not after hearing what Carolyn had to say.

Back home she got David to sit down across from her at the table. He was hunched forward and studying her. Her jaw was locked and her shoulders were broad, she met his eyes with confidence and tried to figure what to say.

"I know that look, you're still in investigative mode right now. What can I do to help with the case?"

"I have to know more about Holly." His heavy hand covered his mouth and chin, and his eyes slid down. "I need to also know more about the woman that is Trina's mom, and the relationship between the two of them or the three of you."

"Is Holly being considered a suspect?"

"At this point I'm not sure of her involvement, if there is any. But her erratic behavior casts some suspicion. Trina was afraid of her, and we feel Holly may have witnessed the abduction. More than she admitted to nine years ago."

"I see." He dropped his hand and straightened his back. "Monica Lewis. A waitress at a steakhouse." Tori folded her hands and listened as the man spoke. He coughed into a napkin, took a deep breath, then continued on. "I adored her, eventually got her to go out with me. We went on several dates together, and she became pregnant with my child."

"Okay."

He shrugged and glanced away. "It turns out that Monica was from a certain type of family. She didn't want the baby, she wanted to abort it but they said no." Tori swallowed down the heaviness in her throat and reached for the notebook. "When she considered adoption, I wanted my child. I stepped forward and Monica handed Trina over to me. At this time, I'd met and married Holly. She was insanely jealous of Monica and of your sister."

Tori held onto her breath and closed her fingers around her pen. She started clicking the pen and peered down at the notebook. "She argued that Trina wasn't hers and so another woman's child had no place in our house. I fought back, saying I had a right to my daughter. She never quite got over that."

"Do you feel if Holly had the means, the motive and opportunity, that she would have done something to Trina?"

David crossed his arms and shrugged. "You're the investigator. What are your thoughts so far?" She looked to her notes with a chuckle and swept her hair over and behind her ear.

"She has motive, it sounds like. Jealousy, anger, hatred. But I don't know about opportunity or means."

"If you ask me, the key witness-the key to all this is in the next room watching Scooby Doo." He poked his thumb over his shoulder and Tori looked to the living room. "Get her to talk, and she'll be able to tell you what she can."

"I can't and don't want to push her. She's been through eight years of trauma and she's separated from her mom."

"Right, but she's starting to trust you. She'll open up to you when she's ready to, and I suspect it won't be much longer. Keep investigating, but don't forget that Victoria has seen with her own eyes what happened.

"Right." She scratched her head and turned back a page in her notes. "I just wish I could figure out who would have taken Trina. She would have had to be comfortable enough to go without fight, and she would have been willing to get in a car without her purse."

"You know your sister better than anyone. There were always exceptions."

"Exceptions?" She wrinkled her nose and thought back to the crime scene.

"The original investigators-" He stopped and put his hand to his chest. "-Even I all thought she was taken from the back yard. You found that very likely she left the yard. She was angry, needed to blow off steam, so what did Trina do?"

"If I remember correctly, then I know she's always leaving the house when she's pissed. She leaves to walk around the neighborhood." Her heartbeat pulsed with rapid excitement as the realization struck her like a hurricane.

Trina wasn't abducted from the house or the back yard, she wasn't guided, she went for a damn walk. "Why didn't I think of that?" She threw her hand to the side of her head and rose, taking in a sharp breath of air. "But Holly was in the guest room, she might have seen Trina leave the yard."

"Have you questioned her yet?"

"No, I'm not sure how to get her either. I'd have to call her and convince her to come in for questioning to see if she saw anything. Gary too, just to check and see if his story has changed over the years or if it remains the same."

"Also question people who lived in the neighborhood around that time. You know your sister's walking. Retrace it, see if the neighbors saw anything at all. Even if they never came forward, they might have been afraid…but it's been a decade now, so maybe someone will talk."

"Maybe. I hope so, because I'm not entirely sure where to go with this."

"Just keep doing what you're doing, and you'll do fine." He smiled reassuringly and his eyes glimmered with hope. "I'm proud of you, Tori. If anyone can crack this case, you can. I know you can."

Her heart skipped a beat and she moved to hug him, grateful that he had faith in her. "I won't give up." She had to do everything she could, and now that she had this new probable theory, there was more to work with. Though it was another step closer, she still felt far from the truth.

* * *

So there's a chance Trina wasn't taken from the area of the house at all, and we see she was visiting a women's shelter while also looking for her birth mother. Things the original investigators never found that can truly turn a cold case on fire. What are your thoughts as you read?


	9. Startling Developments

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 9 (Startling Developments)

"I would like to know if you two could come into town." Tori was walking the route Trina typically walked, and she decided try and get Holly to come down without directly accusing her over the phone. "I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm not sure if I'll be able come down anytime soon." Tori raised an eyebrow and hummed while listening to the background noise. She could hear the clatter of dishes, the television was on, and two men seemed to be arguing.

There was something vaguely familiar about the men in the background, but she didn't think it mattered at the moment. "Why not?" It was odd of Holly to say she didn't want to come for a visit, when for so many years she cried about their estrangement.

"I've just got such a load to take care of right now." She stopped walking and folded her left arm over her abdomen to use it as a rest for her right elbow. "Gary's not feeling well, I'm busy with the animal shelter and the church. Then I'm getting swamped down at the hospital."

"How about Gary? Can he come down?"

Holly gasped as if Tori just said the greatest thing on earth. "You actually want to talk to your stepfather?" She rolled her eyes and looked to the side, wondering why she was the one trying to do this. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with him?"

"Well something has come up." The men in the background grew louder, and she thought for sure she was hearing either Robbie's or Andre's voice, but that was impossible. _"Now of course, I am imagining things."_ The two were still yelling at each other, to the point she was surprised to hear Holly go from this joyful demeanor to virulent when she turned away and shouted for them to quiet down because she had a headache. "So you're not feeling well today, mother?"

"Hm? No, I'm fine sweetheart." She closed her mouth and turned her skeptical gaze onto a nearby tree. In her mind she was questioning the fresh, sweet tone Holly spoke in. "We just have a couple plumbers over to fix the pipes and they are causing quite the ruckus. It seems they cannot decide what tool is right for the job!"

"Uh huh." Tori dropped her left arm and focused on the irritable feeling inside her. "They sound just like Robbie and Andre. You remember them?" Holly's laugh was airy and full of charm.

"You mean Robbie Shapiro and Andre Harris?" Her eyebrows shot up and the left corner of her lips tilted up into a smirk. Holly remembering their full names was the last thing she expected. "God I haven't seen those two children since you graduated high school dear, all your friends were such interesting characters."

"That they were." There was something fishy about the inflection of Holly's voice, but she could see no reason why the woman would bother lying if she had seen the two. "There are a lot of memories I've had with them, good and bad." She snapped her fingers and leaned back against the tree. "In fact, I remember the day Trina went missing, I'd been hanging with Andre earlier that morning. We were playing on the piano."

"He was the pianist in your little group of friends, wasn't he?"

"Yeah. A good guy, too bad he's not around anymore. None of them are, except Jade and Beck, they're the only ones still in LA." She looked up wistfully and closed her eyes as a gentle breeze swept across her face. It was good remembering all of them, even if they were just a memory now.

"I'm sorry to hear your friends all fell apart from you, dear."

Her eyes opened halfway and she dismissed Holly's words with a huff. "No, that's life. People go their own separate ways, it's rare for childhood and teenage friends to still be extremely close after graduation."

"Whatever happened to that one girl, the one with the-was it red hair?"

"Cat. She went away a long time ago. I know Sam still wishes she'd come back, but we're not sure she ever will return." A dish shattered in the background and Holly snapped, screaming at the person for being clumsy and dropping the fine china she'd just bought. "Hey, I'm sure it was an accident."

"That was no fucking accident! The maid is always screwing around. She's lucky I don't fire her." A woman in the background began whimpering as Holly continued to shout. The man who sounded vaguely like Andre spoke up, telling Holly to stop yelling at the girl.

Tori listened and retained her stoic expression, but her heart felt heavy in her chest. This was the first time in a long time she'd seen how easily her mother could go from pleasant to vicious and back in a matter of seconds. She'd almost forgotten how terrified she was of the woman when she was a little girl.

"Now. Where were we, Tori dear? I'm sorry about that."

She caught her breath and shook away the tears forming in her eyes. "Of course you are." Recalling the divorce, it had been her father that filed first. Holly didn't want to take it, from what she could remember, but David pushed. This caused more fights between the two, and Holly had even gone so far as to threaten him for it. "Hey mom, do you remember what you were doing in the guest room when Trina disappeared?"

She listened as the woman sighed and set some cup on the desk with a clinking sound. "Folding clothes, dear." Already there was a discrepancy, because Holly told original investigators that she'd been packing. "Saw Trina leave the back gate too while I was there, assumed she was going for a walk. Why?"

Tori's jaw dropped and her hand moved over her heart. The fact that Holly was so casual was stunning, but then, the woman wasn't being fully questioned. "You mean, you saw Trina leave?"

"She looked angry. Must have been one of those five-ten minute walks that she used to go on."

"You've…never mentioned that before."

"Didn't think it was important."

"Not important?" Her stomach twisted as anger burned through her body. "How could you say that's not important? Mom, Trina was kidnapped that day! Anything you say could have helped the investigators."

"I miss her too sweetheart, but I still think she just walked off. She didn't want to be there anymore. She's a runaway like a lot of girls that go missing." Whether it was due to the anger that Holly just recently displayed, or the years that had gone by, Holly was far too nonchalant.

It was startling.

Recovering her composure and trying to simmer down her own anger, she thought up another answer she hadn't bothered to ask. "Hey mom? How come you don't tell us where you live?"

"You never ask."

"So, would you?"

"Your stepfather's job requires us to be unlisted. I'm not allowed to tell anybody, even you, where I am living. At least not over the phone, sweetheart." Tori cursed under her breath and started to hum. She needed Holly to give her something to work with, she needed a way to question both Holly and Gary in person. "Why?"

"I was thinking since you couldn't come down here, we could go to you."

"We're not allowed visitors, sweetheart."

She leaned sideways and tapped her nails on the tree. Her lips twisted into a sneer and her forehead folded over in the middle as her eyebrows forced a bulge between them. "Okay let me put it this way. We would like for either you, Gary, or both of you to come down to the station." Holly gasped out and Tori's gaze drifted off to the right, where a teenager and her father were standing across the street. "The case regarding Trina has been reopened and we're questioning all the witnesses again to their actions and whereabouts that day."

"Oh my god." Holly choked up and Tori could have sworn she heard the woman sob. "Oh god did they find something new? Did they find her, or her body or something?"

"I can't divulge information about the case, but yes new information has come up. That is usually how cold cases get reopened."

"Gary is in the next room, I can hand the phone to him if you'd like?"

"I'm afraid that's not going to work, Mom." She dusted off her shoulder and stood erect. She couldn't simply question Gary over the phone. Though it was done, she needed to ensure that the two couldn't be able to tell the other what to say.

Holly's weeping ceased and she started to whine. "You don't think we had anything to do with it, dear?"

"You're just a witness, and we want to confirm both of your statements. That's all."

"Oh. Well, let me check the calendar." So it would seem Holly wanted to come in on her own time, Tori would be forced to allow it. "I'm not free until tomorrow, sweetie, but Gary might be able to fly in this evening."

"You two cannot come in together?"

"I'm afraid not, our schedules rarely provide us with time to be together. Even right now, it's rare that we're in the house together. Work conflicts."

"I understand."

"I need to check on the plumbers, dear. Will four work for you?"

"It'll do. I believe Gary knows the way to the police station?" He'd better, since he was a cop back then. "I'll be more than happy to give directions if need be."

"He remembers the way."

"Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, the people across the street made their way over. She was in uniform, so likely if they were approaching a police officer, something was up. "I have a question," the father asked, "I thought I heard you say you were investigating that girl that was kidnapped several years ago?"

"Trina Vega. Yes." She crossed her arms and looked from the man to the teenager, then back. "Do you know something?" If they remembered anything, then it would explain why the name was familiar to them. "I believe she was walking through this neighborhood, if you have any information to help with the case…"

"I don't." The father put his hand to his chest and Tori's heart sank. The man moved his hand to his daughter's shoulder and she glanced to the girl. "Lucy was seven at the time. She was in the yard, she told me she saw something and when the news came out about that woman's disappearance…"

Tori smiled and turned to the teenager. Lucy was looked younger than her age, and she appeared quiet and shy. "I get nervous around police officers," Lucy admitted, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She laughed and moved her hand up to her chest. "I was nervous around them too when I was really young. Even though my dad was an officer, I used to always look up to them like a celebrity so I was nervous when I got to talk to them." Lucy started to smile and she shrugged.

"Yeah, well, they always seem too busy to talk to. I can understand why, with all the work you guys do."

"Yep. So, did you see something that day, Miss?" Back in the day investigators might have ignored the word of a seven year old, but now that she was older, whatever she saw could be crucial to the case.

Lucy pointed across the street, to the sidewalk in front of a gap between two homes. "That woman was walking and she stopped right there. There was a dark car following her." Tori looked over and tried to visualize the scene in her mind. "We used to have a tire swing in the front yard here, so that's where I was."

"Okay." She held her breath and narrowed her eyes at the scene across the street. "You saw a dark car following? Do you remember anything about the vehicle or the person driving it?"

"I'm not sure, I think the car was either dark blue or black. A jeep, and I think it only had two doors." Lucy scratched her cheek and furrowed her brow. "I remember a tall man with black hair, and I remember thinking it was odd that he was following her." Her heart began to pound and she fought against her growing anxiety.

"Was there any exchange between the two?"

"Yes. She stopped and started talking to him. When he got out of the car, she looked like she didn't want him anywhere near." She could picture this man walking towards Trina, and of course Trina's already on the defensive. "She walked away and he pulled something from his pocket, I think it might have been a rag."

"A rag?" She tucked her thumbs over her belt as the left corner of her lips sank into her cheek. Lucy dipped her head and hummed thoughtfully.

"Yes, yes it was a rag. I remember thinking it was odd that he had one with him. I thought he was going to wipe his mouth or something, but he approached the girl." Taking Trina with her back turned, this man could not have been a stranger because Trina would never have turned her back to him and walked away if it was a stranger.

Granted if it were a stranger that was following her in a car, she never would have stopped to talk to him-she would have gone to one of the houses on the neighborhood. Everyone knew who she was, so they would have let her inside if they thought she needed help.

"I went inside to get dad, because I thought she might be in trouble. When we came outside, they were both gone."

"Can you describe her actions in more detail, Lucy? Her body language or anything that might tell us if she was afraid of this man? I know it might be hard to remember, but I'd like you to try."

Lucy's face scrunched and she shook her head. "Afraid, not so much." Her lips parted as Lucy walked over to the sidewalk. "I remember her like it was yesterday, I've got a really good memory."

"Okay."

"When she was talking to the man in the car, and when he got out she was standing like this." Lucy leaned her upper body to the right and crossed her arms. Her lips stretched into an annoyed scowl and her eyes narrowed. "And she said to him 'why are you following me'?"

"What else?"

"He got out of the car and looked really nervous. I thought he'd been swimming or something, because his shirt was soaked. He kept apologizing to her and asking her to get in the car, and that's when she started walking away."

"So definitely more annoyed than terrified." She rubbed her chin and looked towards the area Lucy mentioned. "And you saw no one else? Could there have been someone else in the jeep?"

"I'm not sure. The front windows were down, but the back windows were up. You know how cars have those window tints? These were like that, they were black, so if there was anyone in the back seat-I didn't see them."

"Got it. Thank you very much Lucy, you've been a great help." She took a deep breath and her nostrils flared. She was more annoyed now with this information, because it meant someone else had to have been involved that she hadn't yet thought of. "Will you be willing to testify in court?" Lucy looked up to her father and the man nodded.

"We're willing to help out any way we can," the man replied, "More than willing."

"Thank you for your cooperation." There was only person she could think of that she knew had a dark colored jeep around that time that would be someone nervous around Trina, and could cause her any amount of nervousness. That person was Robbie, and he'd already pissed Trina off earlier that day.

She'd have to look into any friends or other acquaintances that Trina knew back then, to see if there was anyone else matching Lucy's description. Primarily, she could see no reason why Robbie would possibly kidnap Trina. He was, however, the first of her friends to move away and disappear, and it was only months after Trina vanished.

_"It can't be him."_ She pinched the skin above her nose and her shoulders fell. _"Think like a cop, Tori, not like a sister or a friend."_ She dropped her hand and looked to Lucy one last time. "One more question."

"Yes?"

"You said you remember the man was tall, had black hair. Is there anything _else _you can remember about his description?" Lucy pursed her lips and was silent for the longest time. Then her eyes lit up and she shouted out as though she just remembered something vitally important.

"When he was driving up-and you know how when you're a kid you're always making judgments about people?"

"Everyone does that."

"Right, but I remember saying to myself that the guy had these ugly glasses. I mean, they seemed to be the only thing on his face, really. They were huge and bulky."

"Great. Got it." She turned away and felt a painful ache spreading across her chest. _"Goddamn it Robbie. What the hell did you do?"_ Robbie told the original investigators he was at Beck's place all day, and Beck confirmed that he'd been there. It had been mentioned Robbie got a phone call and left because his grandmother needed something.

On instinct Tori thought there had to be something more to this. If indeed Robbie could be placed as the abductor, he was too much of a coward and weakling at the time to go through with such a crime on his own will. Especially if it was Trina.

He had to have been forced into it, but then, she could be wrong about that theory. Regardless, she'd have to locate him and try her best not to kill him for having any part in her sister's abduction.

* * *

Some new developments, shocking indeed


	10. Witnesses and Theories

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 10 (Witnesses and Theories)

* * *

"Beck, we need you to think back." Jade sat across from her husband at the metal table in the questioning room. Tori was leaning against the double sided mirror and had her arms crossed. Her eyes were sunken and her mouth was shaped in a tight scowl, but not towards Beck, since he was innocent in all this.

Still, she was letting Jade do the questioning. It was probably better for them to have someone else question when it came to having personal connections to someone, but Beck was a simple witness and nothing more.

"I still can't believe there's a possibility Robbie took her." Beck swept his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. "It doesn't sound right." He dropped his hand to the table and let his shoulders fall. His face shook with anger and grief, and his eyes narrowed. "But I'll tell you what I can remember. We were hanging out in my RV most of the morning, talking about god knows what."

"If you can remember anything specific, honey, tell us. Every little detail could bring us another step closer to solving this."

"I know. Damn. Robbie?" He shook his head and looked down to his hands folded on the table. After several seconds of intensive thought, he looked back to Jade and gave her a solemn nod. "He seemed to be depressed. He was always depressed, but more so than usual that morning. That's why we were hanging out, because I was trying to get him to cheer up."

Tori pushed herself from the wall and bent over the table, leaning against her arms. Her shadow hovered over Beck and drew his attention up to her. "What was he depressed about, Beck?"

"He wouldn't say." His eyes met her and his lips fell. "He was going on and on about how he had no future, and how his life was over. He wanted to tell me goodbye, or something to that extent and I didn't know what was going on. Since the first investigators never asked any questions about him, I didn't think his behavior was relevant."

"I see." She stood straight and rolled her head back, cracking her neck. "So, he was depressed and distressed, talking about things without telling you what exactly he wanted." It was clear Robbie had been hiding something, because the man never kept quiet about something bothering him. "Usually very open and receptive, but now dodging the issue hand. Doesn't seem like Robbie."

Jade looked up at her, then looked back to Beck. "Tell us about the phone call. Did Robbie receive a phone call?" Beck scratched his neck and looked up to the left.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think he did. He said it was his grandmother and she needed him to pick something up for her. I thought it was peculiar that he didn't have the ringtone set for her. There was a particular tone he used for her, but this tone was just the default cell."

Her stomach knotted up and her hands began to shake. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to find Robbie and strangle him. "He could have been telling the truth, he could have gone to visit his grandmother, but a witness puts him in a dark colored jeep right where Trina was taken."

"A jeep? Robbie had a jeep back then."

"I remember. What can you tell us about his reaction to the phone call?"

"I was focused on the TV, and only looked once. He looked horrified, and then turned his back to me when I had looked. He hung up, said he was going to pick something up for his grandma, and that was it. I never thought anything more about it until I was asked to confirm that he'd been at my place."

"Thank you." She pat Jade's shoulder with the back of her hand and motioned for her to step outside. The woman stood and followed her out of the room. "This is making me sick."

"I feel the same way, I'm just…I'm shocked to think Robbie had anything to do with it." Jade's head shook left and right, and she reached up to rub her neck. "It couldn't be a case of mistaken identity, could it?"

"I don't know. I don't think Trina new anybody matching that description besides Robbie. We need to see if the team working the Shapiro murder has had any luck in locating him."

In her peripheral, she saw Sam walking with her coworker, Jesse, much to her surprise. "Sam? Jesse? What are you two doing here?" She only knew Jesse by seeing him at the department a few times. He and Sam usually came over because a team needed help from narcotics, and their small town narcotics team worked closely with Los Angeles. "Helping a case?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, "We were actually called in to look over the Megan Shapiro murder. They needed help determining if her death could have been drug related." Her eyebrows rose and Jesse looked over his shoulder.

"Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be." He crossed his arms and brought his hand up to his chin. "It does look like a drug hit would be, but I can't see someone on a drug bust going out of their way to kill the child the way they had. Plus the drugs that the team found had been a small amount, and the only amount of drugs in the house."

"No drugs found in the victim's body either."

"It was staged like a drug hit, in my opinion." Jesse removed his hand with a sigh and furrowed his brow. "Cleverly." He looked over and motioned to them. "How are you doing on your case? Sam says you're working a cold kidnapping case?"

"That's correct." Tori nodded and swayed to the right. "My sister's case, actually. Turns out an old friend of mine may have been involved, but we're having difficulty locating him. As a matter of fact, we were about to ask those working on the Shapiro case if they found the victim's brother yet."

"Unfortunately not." He rubbed the back of his head and Sam's lips parted slightly. "We asked the same, but it turns out his family has no idea if he's alive. The only one that could have an idea was his grandmother, but she passed away four years ago."

"She did?" Her voice sank to a whisper and her hand clenched. "Damn." There was no way to question the woman now, to find out if she had called him that day. "Well. Jesse, Sam, if we need your expertise on this, we'll let you know. Doesn't seem like there's any drugs involved, I know my sister wasn't into that."

"Good, then we'll hold out hope that you won't need our expertise." He smirked with confidence and Tori chuckled. It was good to know that these two would have their backs if need be, because at this rate, she had nowhere else to look.

"The only suspicious activity Trina was involved in that day was going to the hospital and a woman's shelter. She was pregnant." Jesse jerked his head back and tilted it to the right. He knew the basics of the case, but not much. "We found her child, that's why the case is reopened."

"You think she's still alive?"

"I hope so. I hope this is an indicator that she is."

"You know, now that you mention it, something suspicious to me-" Tori spotted Gary walking into the building and her eyes drifted to the clock, he was right on time.

"Hold that thought, Jesse, one of our witnesses actually came in for questioning." She smirked and moved past him, her eyes were locked onto Gary as though he were her prey. "Gary Malone, so nice of you to keep your word." Gary turned his head and smiled. She never expected him to keep true to coming in. "Jade will take you to the examination room."

Jade hurried after him and Tori turned back to Jesse. "Now, what were you about to say? I'm sorry about that."

"I was thinking out loud, we have to get going. There's a drug raid we're prepping for."

"Alright. I've got your contact information if I need your assistance on anything. You've got mine."

"Yes."

"Great." She made her way into the observation room, feeling it was best in this case to let Jade lead entirely. Gary could change his answers with her presence.

Gary was leaning back in his chair. His eyes were focused on the wall to the side and his left index finger was gently tapping his the side of his face. "So the first thing I want to ask you," Jade began, "Is where you were on the day of Trina Vega's abduction."

He curled his finger down into his palm and shrugged. "I don't remember." Tori's heart lurched forward and her teeth clenched together. Common in many cold cases was the 'I don't remember' defense, but that was usually for cases that were much older.

"It was nine years ago, surely you remember something?"

"I don't remember." Those who were innocent would remember, she remembered hearing this from two investigators that truly inspired her many years ago. "I might have been driving around."

"Driving around?" Jade flipped through the pages in his file and her eyebrows rose with skepticism. "Any ideas where you were driving to, or where you were driving?"

"You know what?" He dropped his forearm to the table and clicked his tongue. "I really don't remember. I think I was waiting for Holly to pack her things and let me know when to swing by and pick her up."

"So Holly needed you to pick her up?"

"Yes. She didn't want to take the car because it belonged to David."

That was a clear lie on his part, and Tori knew it, but only because she was there at the time. Holly didn't care whose name the car was in, she considered the silver minivan to be her car, and she took the vehicle with her when she left.

She also demanded that David switch it into her name when the divorce was finalized. Why lie about this? Tori set her wrists behind her back and narrowed her glare on the man.

"I'd like to ask another question. Do you know a Robbie Shapiro, and have you ever come into contact with him?"

"I think I've seen the kid driving around once or twice back then in some jeep. Why? Is he a suspect?"

"We are trying to locate him for questioning. We do not know if he is a suspect just yet."

"I see." Gary turned towards Jade and his dull eyes locked with hers. "I don't remember a whole lot, but I've told you what I can remember. Are we done here?" Jade breathed out heavily and ran her hand across her forehead.

"We are. Thank you for agreeing to come in." She stood and guided the man out of the room. Tori turned in time for Jade to walk into the observation room. "He's lying. I can tell. He wouldn't even look at me."

"Yeah, not until the end." It was a shame they couldn't keep him longer than he wanted, but since they weren't charging him with anything, he was free to go. "We need to find Robbie, but since we can't find him right now, we'll have to start investigate what his actions were like that day."

"Beck already told us a little bit, and we know he was outside that hospital." Jade put her hands to her hips and furrowed her brow. "Do you think he really 'ran into' Trina at the hospital, or was he following her?"

"He could very well have been following her. If Holly had anything to do with the kidnapping, she would have to be able to manipulate somebody into getting Trina, because she would know the girl would never go anywhere with her."

"And Robbie's easy to manipulate." Tori chuckled as Jade moved her hand up to her chest. "I know this because I've manipulated the sucker in high school all the time. What are the chances, if Holly is indeed involved, that she was waiting for the perfect opportunity-and when Trina went for that walk, it was the perfect opportunity to call up the kidnapper…Robbie, and tell him to grab her?"

"Do you think he acted alone?"

"I think Robbie was a scared little shit." Jade looked back to the door and pointed out. "I think that man that just walked out had something to do with it, and it's all connected."

"We have to find evidence linking them together. If there's a conspiracy involved, we need to figure out what it is and why."

"There's one thing. If Holly is indeed involved, and she's married to Gary, then he's most certainly involved. The question then becomes what reason would they have to use Robbie, what could they have done or used to force him to nab Trina, and could he still be around?"

"Or…could he be dead?" She pushed open the door and walked to the other exam room where Beck was waiting. She crossed her arms outside the door and stared back at the puzzled look on Jade's face. "Either he's in a ditch somewhere and hasn't been found, has been found and is sitting on a cold case shelf himself, or he's alive and with the kidnappers as we speak." As the thoughts came rushing to her mind, she snapped her fingers and pointed to a doorway down the hall. "And what if the death of Megan Shapiro and her daughter are connected?"

"It's too bad we can't get ahold of Andre and Cat either, because I'm almost certain they interacted with Robbie that day as well. Speaking of which, when did they leave again?"

"All of them left within the year, Jade." She opened the door and Beck looked up from the table as the two women walked in. "Though the strangest thing earlier today while talking to Holly. She had two plumbers over, arguing about tools. They sounded a little like Robbie and Andre, but that couldn't be possible."

"It would certainly give credence towards my theory."

* * *

If you pay attention to body language and expression you can tell when someone is lying. Two suspects, both cooperative but one is truthful the other's avoidant. I made the one that was avoiding based off the questioning of a guilty suspect on the Cold Justice episode. A good brief talk with Sam and Jesse, damn Gary's timing though because Jesse was just about to bring up his monthly visits from the mysterious woman at the cafe.


	11. Dreaming of Knights

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 11 (Dreaming of Knights)

Trina brought her gaze up from her arm and removed her fingernails from her flesh when she heard footsteps outside the cell door. She swallowed hard and wrapped her hand around the red scratches on her forearm. Her lip tucked beneath her teeth and she pressed herself up against the wall as the door slid open.

Cat entered the cell, announcing herself just as she stepped in. The girl's eyes were puffy and tearstains looked like streams of fire on her cheeks. "I couldn't be upstairs anymore. I can't stand Robbie and Andre fighting so constantly." She sat against the left wall and Trina rolled her eyes. "I know you don't care, but you're the only other woman I can talk to."

"Why do they keep me alive?" Her voice was raw and tired from crying all night. "They wanted to kill my child, why don't they kill me?" Cat's hand moved to her stomach and her chin dropped to her chest.

"They'll kill me, Trina. They'll kill all of us when we're no longer useful. But I think they're going to kill me within the next few months…" Trina raised an eyebrow and let her arms fall beside her legs. She knew as long as Andre was around, Cat wasn't going to die. "You've still got years left according to them. She blames you for imprisonment or something-"

"What fucking imprisonment?" Trina's voice echoed off the walls and Cat whimpered as Trina screamed out an angered cry. "Just because dad wanted to take care of me, she wants to keep me down here? Torture me? For how fucking long! What did I ever do to her? What did Victoria ever do to her?"

"I don't know. I think they want to keep you locked up for a total of twenty years, it's only been nine, so…eleven more years of this." Cat moved her hands up to her face and began to sob, her body shook terribly and her sobbing increased. "I can't do this anymore."

"Knock it off." She sank and glanced to her forearm. She didn't understand Cat, primarily because it was clear Cat wasn't at the same point she was. "You want to tell me you can't live like this anymore, and you see what situation _I'm_ in. You're scared they'll kill you, I want them to kill me."

"I'm scared." Cat took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm scared because I'm pregnant, Trina." Her heart stopped and she rolled her head in Cat's direction, staring blankly at the woman. She was amazed, because she thought Cat was into Sam, but at the same time, she wondered how Cat could have possibly gotten pregnant.

It was a dangerous place to be. Flashbacks to her first nine months in captivity were horrifying. Likely the most terrifying part of her imprisonment. Victoria wasn't even born in a hospital, she was born in this cell, and Cat was the only person to help her deliver the baby.

"That's why I came to you, you're the only one to know what to do."

"I don't know what to do. I wished Victoria could have had a normal childhood, that she could have been born outside." Trina struck the wall with the back of her head and closed her eyes. "W-Who's the father? Robbie?"

"N-No, that's what's surprising." Her eyes shot open and she moved her head away from the wall. "It's Andre's." Her jaw dropped and her fingers slid inwards on the cement floor.

Doing a double take, she stammered out his name and watched as Cat hugged herself and started to cry again. "I don't know what came over me, Trina. I knew if I got pregnant, I'd be forced to have my baby here, but-"

"He's comforting. Probably more comforting than Robbie, who I thought you were into."

"God I stopped liking him that way when I found out he went through with kidnapping you." Even though Robbie had been forced and blackmailed into the crime, he still could have done or said something to prevent it from happening. Cat threw her hand into the air and narrowed her eyes. "He's just a coward. They'll tell him to bark and he'll bark."

"With Andre. How did it happen?"

"God." Cat brought her hand to the top of her head and she wiggled her nose. "It was a few weeks ago, he came in to check on me because I was scared about something. It was nighttime, he always comes to check on me to make sure I'm doing okay, and well…I was doing really bad that night. Not diminishing you, by the way."

"I get it Cat. I do." She rolled her eyes and looked away with an angry huff. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't deny knowing that Cat had it difficult. Just because she was in the situation she was, it didn't mean the others weren't in pain either. "Just go on."

Cat ran her hands along her legs. "Okay." The girl's chest was trembling and her body was rigid. "Well he sat with me and I leaned up against him. I just, I was missing Sam and my grandma, and my family. God, even my stupid little brother Jacob, I missed. He held me and he told me it would be okay, and I don't know. I just, there's something about how he makes me feel safe."

"You kissed him, I'm guessing."

"Yeah…and I haven't felt that feeling in-well ever, so…" It was the standard one thing led to another case, and it was what happened between her and Sinjin many years ago. "He doesn't know. None of them know. I'm scared they'll find out, and if they find out, they're going to kill me."

"How do _you_ know?"

"It's been a few months. I've been hormonal, I've felt sick...also missed my period completely after that time. I managed to convince them to take me to a drugstore, bought a couple pregnancy tests and immediately hurried into the bathroom so I could take it."

"And?"

"Positive. Every single one." As far as Trina knew, pregnancy tests had gotten more accurate over the years. She felt bad for Cat, and she was scared for her, but she didn't know what to say to comfort the girl. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Protect your baby as much as you can. That's all I can say about that." Her fingers trembled and she struggled to pull her thoughts together to find something cohesive to tell the girl. "That feeling of comfort you said you had with Andre."

"Yeah?"

"The only time I feel safe anymore-the only time I feel comfort anymore is when I get to go to that café." Cat lit up and her lips finally turned up into a smile.

"Andre says you meet somebody there, you talk to without being able to tell him everything for obvious reasons."

"Yeah, his name's Jesse. He works narcotics." She rolled her head to the right and closed her eyes, visualizing the man in her mind. "It's funny. I'm not sure why but I feel safest, and the irony? He was in a small time gang a decade or so ago." Cat's hand moved up to her mouth and she gasped out.

"A gang? Really?"

"Called the Black Knights. He says it was for a short period of time, but he became their leader when his father died. He tried to shape them up, and for him personally he never did any criminal activity."

The girl brought her hand back to her knee, chuckling as she shook her head. "It would explain how he's in law enforcement. You feel safe with him? Why?"

"I don't know, it's hard to explain. He even has a good effect on Victoria. The only time I've ever seen her smile was when we were at that café. She was always fond of him. Somehow he just figured out when I go to the café, on a monthly basis, and he's there for me." She dropped her head back onto the wall and closed her eyes. "Now my dreams are all I have left."

"What dreams?"

"Passing along the day, I have to think of something. Jesse, Victoria, they're the only things keeping me from going mad anymore. Sometimes I fantasize, I think Jesse's a knight and he'll get me out of here, but I know that's just a silly dream-or maybe a wish." Her chest began to throb and her shoulders sank down. "I'll die here, I know I will."

"They're looking for us, Trina." She opened her eyes partially and let her head fall to the side, resting on her left shoulder as her dull gaze dropped onto Cat. Cat's fingers compressed on her knees and her head bowed. "Tori and Jade."

"They'll never find us, Cat."

"They've reopened your case. They're onto something-something got them to look into it again. They're fired up."

"What part of 'we are going to die here', don't you get?" As much as she wanted to believe her sister and her harsh friend were going to come to her rescue, she couldn't. Unlike Cat, the stories she'd heard about Tori were only stories. "Somewhere along the way you want me to think my sister gave up singing to be a detective-my dream-that used to be _my_ dream. Not hers."

Cat lifted her head and opened her mouth, but could only sigh in her defeat. "Then you expect me to believe Jade would give a damn about whether or not I was found? Jade. The one that was constantly on me about everyone, the one that always told me how unloved I was-how nobody liked me, and you know what?"

"What, Trina?" The redhead's tone was terse and flat.

"Look around you." She pulled her knees up to her chest and dropped her forearms over them. "She was fucking right. Even if Robbie were forced and Gary held him at gunpoint in the back of that car, he still went through the kidnapping. He could have told Beck what was up, the one time that day he wasn't being watched, and Beck could have gotten help. Did he? Nope, he thought only of himself! Nobody likes me, nobody wants me alive. Not even the woman I wanted to believe was my mother. I was terrified of her all my life, and I had good reason."

"I know." Cat looked into her eyes, her mouth tugged into her cheeks and flattened into a line. The girl's face grew firm and her body tense. "I know that's what you think, and I understand why it's easy to think that. But for nine years, Andre and I have tried to protect you. For nine years, your dad and your sister, and our friends have been trying to find something that would give them a lead on finding you-and right now they're not even concerned about _us_, they're concerned about _you_."

Trina looked to the right, dismissing the girl with a scoff. "If anyone really wanted to find me, then why hasn't it happened yet?"

"Because." Cat pointed out the door and narrowed her eyes. "The _bitch_ out there…" Trina flinched and shot a stunned look to the girl. Cat's voice rose and filled with anger and grief. "That bitch is a manipulative little shit that knows how to twist stories, make people believe what they want, and use the things people care most about to get her way about things."

"Well I-"

"And she knows damn well how to con her own family into thinking she's innocent, but from what I'm hearing when she and Gary discuss things…that hold's breaking. Tori has become more and more suspicious of her, and soon she won't be able to do _anything_."

"All I want is proof, Cat."

"What reason do we have to lie to you?"

She narrowed her eyes and scowled at the girl. "Do you really want me to answer that?" There were a number of lies that everyone told her, she didn't trust people anymore.

"Do you trust Jesse? You've talked to him for two years now."

"I don't know! I don't know who to trust. I've seen him eighteen times, and for two hours a time-that's hardly enough time to get to know someone when you don't know how to trust anymore."

"Yes, I get it, bad comparison, but still why should you believe things that he might say before you believe anything we say?"

"For one thing, it was Robbie who grabbed me off the street, trying to tell me he wanted me to go to the store with him to help find something! That lie is what got me put in this fucking place. Andre, as much as he tries to protect us told me he wouldn't let bad things happen, and there are so many times he just stands there while that bitch up there and that man start hitting me!"

"He can't stop them all. They'd probably kill him, or his grandmother for that matter-or even his family." Cat blinked twice and bowed her head. "Granted, his family only consists of his mother and his grandmother and little sister."

Trina furrowed her brow and straightened herself against the wall. "What happened to his father and two brothers?"

"They died a very long time ago. After his mom divorced Ray, Ray and his two sons died in a hurricane while his mother brought him and his little sister to California and took on her maiden name."

"Oh…"

"Holly knows this." Trina held her breath and Cat crossed her arms. "And that's how she manipulates him. If he does truly act out, she'll go out and kill them. All of them. Just like she forced him to go out and kill Robbie's sister. The only reason she made him was because he suggested doing the task himself just so he and I could try and get your daughter to safety. He didn't want to kill them, he didn't want that blood on his hands, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make for _you_ and for _Victoria._"

"What sacrifice?"

"Can you not tell that Robbie hates him now? That's a friendship that probably won't ever be fixed. He also has to live with that blood on his hand-though we all live with everything we've had to do or watch for the past decade…"

"Knowing you guys have to live with it, you expect me to feel better?"

"No, but I wish you could see you're not as alone as you think. People care, people are looking. And maybe, if you're dreaming about knights, there's a reason for it. I think like that too, thinking maybe there will be those knights out there to save us…but for now, we have one right here. Andre. He's the only reason Gary and Holly haven't killed us yet."

The girl pulled away from her and despaired. "But if you need proof, I don't know how to get that to you. I know Tori and Jade, even your dad…they're looking for you. They're knights, and they'll find you, I know they will. Me, Andre and Robbie? I don't know what's going to happen to us. If we survive this-"

"If?"

Cat's eyes closed and her hand moved up to her stomach. "If Gary and Holly don't kill us first because we know too much, we're all three going to jail…for helping them." Trina looked on in a state of shock as Cat rose to her feet and started for the door. The girl stopped and turned around one last time. "You will make it. Somehow."

A sudden sensation stabbed her heart and she looked away from Cat when she spied a new tear in the girl's eyes.

"I only hope when you're rescued, you don't always remember us with hatred."

* * *

It would be difficult for her not to be angry with them or distrustful for years to come, but that is understandable at this point. It is good that there is a little bit of hope for both of the girls, though, even in a hopeless situation.


	12. The Guard Dog

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I realize that while Tori and Jade investigate, there's still a lot that we probably need to see of the villains to get a sense of their personality. Even in Trina's perspective there are interactions that she can't see, so I will give you someone else. First off…

* * *

Chapter 12 (The Guard Dog)

"Will you shut up?" Andre slammed Robbie hard against the wall, digging his knee into the man's lower back and pressing his shoulders down. It was yet another argument and an attempt at his life, and he was getting fed up with it. "Do you think I wanted to kill them? If I didn't, it could have been you, me, or Cat out there. Even Trina, though they want to keep her alive for whatever sick reason."

He cupped his fingers around Andre's neck and yanked him back, releasing his hold midway through the pull to let him fall onto the bed. Robbie wiped his bloody mouth and bared his teeth at Andre. "You still killed my sister and my niece! Not only that, I know you slept with my girl."

"Your girl? Wha-" His eyebrow rose as Robbie sat up, his face red as a tomato and his shoulders were rising and falling rapidly. "You mean Cat? How in the fuck is she your 'girl'? You never approached her with whether or not you actually cared about her, and she stopped liking you nine years ago when you grabbed Trina off the street!"

"Fuck you man!" Robbie lunged forward, throwing his fist in the air. Thinking fast, he ducked to the side and grabbed the man's wrist. He watched Robbie's eyes widen in terror as his arm locked behind his wrist. Next, Andre rushed him forward, slamming him once more into the wall with as much force as he could.

The man's glasses flew off his face and he fell to the ground with a violent scream. "Grow the hell up, Robbie." Andre stepped back and ran his hand along his face. His chest heaved and he shook his head, growling angrily. "Stop acting like you're the only one with problems."

He was sick of the guy's constant complaining and hypocrisy. Robbie may have been too much of a coward and didn't want to abduct Trina, but for the first few weeks, if not months, Robbie was the one that actually got a thrill out of seeing Trina in the shape she was in. Andre and Cat found it revolting from the get-go.

"Also, next time?" Robbie collapsed onto his chest, his body trembled with pain as his sniveling whimpers drifted to the air. Andre slowly picked up the Swiss army knife, then slammed the blade down in front of Robbie's face, causing the man to flinch and scream out in terror. "Don't try to stab me from behind when I can hear your nervous whimpers from all the way down the hall. Asshole."

The man's anger could be put to better use than this. How easy could it be for Robbie to kill Holly and Gary in their sleep? Andre fantasized about this for nine years, but then, he knew it was far too dangerous of a task. For the last decade, the couple slept with their doors locked, and often locked the trio in their bedrooms at night as well, so it wasn't as easy as he dreamed it would be.

He made his way downstairs and stopped at the kitchen table. With a defeated huff, he fell onto the chair and brought his hands to his tired face. His fingers slid down his coarse skin and dropped down to his knees as he shook his head.

"Damn." His chest stung from the memories of the murder he'd been made to commit, and the horrors he'd seen that were far too numerous.

_"Meg. I'm sorry." The woman whimpered as he pushed the gun up to the back of her skull. He turned his head away and felt the earth shatter as blood splattered out. Turning around, he saw Holly watching, and dropped his arm. "How long have you been there?"_

_ "You know we watch whatever you do." Holly picked up the casing and motioned her head outside. "I've taken care of the kid in the next room. Your little kitten's outside with Victoria by the creek. Let's go."_

They weren't planning on tying Victoria to the tree, they just wanted to leave her and let the child run for safety. It was Holly who said it might be entertaining to tie her up, then she was going to gloat to Trina when the child was found dead in the most excruciating way.

He pressed his hands together and turned his eyes toward the ceiling, unable to contain the grief that was haunting him. "I have no proof that kid's even alive. No child's body has been found in that area…" But the tree broke, that was the problem. When Gary allowed him to drive out there with the thought of discovering whether or not the girl perished on the tree, they found nothing.

Andre looked to the door of the basement and closed his mouth tight. The guilt of all that he'd done over the years was too much, and he knew the only way he wanted out if they survived was death. There was no other way to atone for his involvement in what happened to Trina.

"How the fuck can they say I'm the strong one?" If anything, the strong one here was Cat. He rose to his feet and walked over to the counters, studying each locked drawer carefully. When his eyes drifted to the countertop, he saw a stray knife and drew a cocky smirk. "They forgot to put their knife up. Holly's too busy going into town, and Gary is…"

His hand hovered over the blade and he casually glanced in the direction of the living room. For a split second he pictured his own body lying in a bloodied heap on the ground, the knife plunged carefully beneath his ribcage as though self-inflicted.

Desire dared him to do it. His hand grew hot from the blood pumping heavily from his heart. "No." How easy could it be to do it? His fingers started to tremble and he closed his eyes. "No, not yet. Cat-"

"Andre?" Shock hit him like lighting and he pulled his hand away, then spun around with fire at his heels. Cat was standing now outside the basement door, her lower lip was under her corner teeth and her hands were behind her, pressed up against the door. "What are you doing?"

"I-nothing." He started to smile at her, her gentle gaze was soothing to him. "You were talking to Trina?"

"I didn't have anyone to talk to, and Holly went in to be questioned, so…yeah." She walked towards him and pressed herself up against his body. Her arms wrapped around his waist and her chin perched on his shoulder. "Andre? I, Trina and I need you." His eyes widened and he turned his head.

She was looking directly at the knife.

His shoulders sank and she pulled her head back, looking sincerely in his eyes. "I don't want to think about how bad things could be if you weren't here."

"I don't affect things that much."

"You affect them more than you think…" She took a deep breath and turned around, leaning back against his chest and hugging her abdomen. With a slow breath, Andre moved his arms around her and placed a hand over hers. His heart pounded heavily as he watched over her with a strong protective gaze.

"I…would love to kill them." His nostrils flared as Cat looked up to him. His eyes shifted to the living room and fixated on the couch where Gary was busy watching a football game. "They don't leave weapons lying around for that reason, but two old buzzards? I could snap them in half."

"But you're better than them, Andre. Besides, you know what retaliation would cause."

"Yeah, assuming I didn't kill both of them." As far as he knew, his grandmother as well as mom and twin sister were still alive. Or they were nine years ago. His father and two brothers died in New Orleans when a hurricane struck in the early 2000s. Of course, this was after the divorce and after the mom took him and Olivia to California and took back her maiden name. "I'm sick of them holding my family over my head."

Cat's eyelids slid down and her chest expanded slowly. "My point is, you're the only thing keeping me from going insane. Trina hasn't completely lost it yet because of those trips to the café." She pulled away from him and reached for the knife. His lips parted and he watched her carry it over to the sink. "Don't do anything to make us lose that connection, please." She put her hand up to her chest and her eyebrows curled together. When her words trembled from her mouth, they broke him. "I need you."

"The things I've done, the things I've allowed. I can't live with that guilt on my mind."

"Then live until we can at least get out of here." He let out a sad chuckle and looked back to the living room. Gary was up from the couch and walking towards them. He was compelled to ask the man to drive him out to where they left Victoria, and maybe if she was safe, the burning inside of him would finally cease.

"Okay Cat-until then, I'll do what I can…I don't know what I can do though." He looked back to the knife and visualized grabbing it and shoving it into Gary's abdomen as fast as he could. When the man got closer, he cleared away the lump in his throat and pointed to the knife. "You or Holly forgot to put that knife up, by the way." No matter what, he still needed the two to trust him, that way they'd never suspect him of anything other than loyalty.

But as long as his family was still out there and they were still in danger, he had no choice but to be loyal. Even taking his own life could mean Gary or Holly going out to kill them. _"No choice…"_

At the scene where they left Victoria, Gary pulled the car to a halt and twisted towards him. "Make it fast, kid." The man's voice was filled with the same hatred and bitterness that was always present, but his eyes were filled with a feeling that surprised him.

"Do I detect remorse, Gary?" He knew that Gary, like himself, couldn't bring himself to kill a small child. It was Gary that convinced Holly to let Trina go full term into her pregnancy. So for nine months, Trina suffered little abuse because of him.

"Just get whatever it is done that you want done. I'll be watching you, so don't try and run." Gary's hands tightened around the steering wheel and his mouth slid into a sneer.

Andre grabbed the door handle and turned his head back to the elder. "Nine years under that woman's thumb, watching her destroy that woman and all our lives. You'd have to get tired of it eventually." Gary's shoulders inclined and his lips curled away from his clenched teeth. "How far you've fallen, once a great police officer getting caught in an affair with the wrong woman."

"Shut the fuck up."

It was easy to push this man's buttons, so Andre was well aware of how easily Holly would have manipulated him. Gary was still somewhat soft, which was the only reason Andre could convince him to give Trina certain amenities that Holly would otherwise refuse.

"Such a shame isn't it? Having to, eight years later, watch Holly kill the one person you had the power to save." He pushed the door open with great force and walked towards the creek.

He needed this moment. There was no certainty that Victoria survived, and with as much guilt that was destroying him right now, he knew it might kill him if the girl died.

"Okay what am I looking for?" He took a deep breath and clenched his eyes as Victoria's loud cries haunted him like thunder in the sky.

The broken tree frightened him, but something was off. In the clear day, he saw the ground on the other side of the creek had been disturbed. Thick grass surrounded he area, but one portion looked as though something heavy crushed the tall grass.

The only other time they visited was at night, and this was not visible before. With his heartbeat steadily increasing, he jumped to the other side and crouched near the smashed area.

"A small girl, breaking from a tree branch-she couldn't have swung herself to safety." His eyes slanted and he turned his head along the area. It appeared human-like in form. Andre extended his arm and flattened his palm just above the surface of the grass.

Pushing his fingers forward into the thicker portion, he felt something rough and out of place. His jaw tightened and he wrapped his finger around this object, then yanked it from the ground.

To his amazement, it was a portion of rope that Holly tied around the girl. "Holy shit." His free hand moved to his hand and his eyes darted upwards to Gary's car in the distance. "Somebody found her."

Relief fell over his shoulders and he almost fell to the floor. Still his body was weightless and he felt a great sense of pleasure in the fact that somebody likely saved Victoria's life.

_"It's the only way. That girl could not of untied those ropes herself." _He looked over his shoulder at the creek and narrowed his eyes. _"The only question is…who found her?" _In his heart he could feel it was Tori that found the child.

All his life he'd been a spiritual person without being religious, and he always followed instinct. It was due to his mother and grandmother, they believed in all of that, and so he did as well. When his father and brothers passed in the hurricane, he believed heavily that they were always around somewhere, guiding him.

Even now, he felt his father in the back of his mind. Ray Preston was the man, and the brothers were Miles and Louie, both had been older than he and Olivia. He often felt if Ray and his mom, Denise, never got a divorce they might not have stayed in New Orleans when they died.

He had to take care of his grandmother and Olivia when Denise put herself in the hospital. All of the stress and grief over losing her sons had been far too much.

Now as he thought on his family, he didn't know why, but he felt his father guiding him to a cemetery. So as he rose, he studied Gary in the car and tightened his hands. "Looks like we're going for another drive."

The Rivers Cemetery was a small and quiet place. It was where his grandmother wanted to be buried when she died, and he'd heard mentioned that his mom wanted a plot here.

As he stood before a line of graves, his shoulders and back were hunched forward and his face had grown long. As the skies darkened above him, he could feel himself being swallowed by a violent anger and grief.

Tears poured down his face as his eyes turned towards the skies. His grandmother's plaque joined that of her husband that died in the late 1950s. Her death was in 2015, ten months after he'd been pulled out by Holly and Gary. His gut told him it was just illness that claimed her life, but he couldn't be sure.

His mother was mentally ill as well, so her death did not surprise him. After he vanished, it was likely she'd been overcome with grief and took her own life, and her death was in 2016-the anniversary of his disappearance.

The most startling tomb was his sister's. She shouldn't have died so early, in the prime of her life. "Olivia." Her name fell from his lips like it was a breath of air. Andre sucked in his lips and fell to his knees, his hand clutched his trembling chest.

"Come on!" Gary shouted from afar, "Let's get moving before Holly gets back. Do you want her jumping on your ass for this?" His eyes shot up and he sucked in the air through his teeth. A violent growl joined his exhale and the line of tears around his eyelids spilled down his teeth with greater fury.

"Alright asshole," he breathed, "I'll play your fucking game for now." He needed to know how his sister died, but he had his suspicions. If they killed her, and if they killed his mother, then he would not know what he'd do.

His nostrils flared and his shoulders rose while inhaling very deeply. Gary may or may not realize what it was that he found. He'd have to tell Cat, but one thing was certain.

Dogs may never pose a threat, but abused dogs will turn upon their owner once they have suffered terrible abuse and the owner best pray that the leash that controls that dog never unravels.

For a moment he thought to picture his father, looking over him with the proudest smirk.

"I'll make you proud, somehow. Keep guiding me, let me get those girls out of there somehow…Their leash is no longer around my throat-Grandma, Mom and Olivia, all gone. My business isn't done here, dad, but I'll be with you soon."

* * *

So Andre's discovered some good he's discovered some bad. Some of that bad might potentially be good. What are your thoughts on everything?


	13. Dynamic Mood Changes

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: So here's Holly's interrogation. Also the debut of another job partner of Tori's. The man is not an OC, but he is not from Victorious. You may learn who he is though. I had to think of someone mexican that would be around the same age as Tori, and went for an old show that I've written fanfiction for-despite not liking the show.

* * *

Chapter 13 (Dynamic Moods)

Tori was seated before a large whiteboard with the images of her suspects on it. Motives and evidence were listed beneath each. Her legs were crossed and she was gently tapping her chin with her pen.

Holly was still in the questioning room, being questioned by one of the officers on the team. A man she knew well by the name of Rick Suave, he gave the tough questions and would hopefully get something out of Holly where the woman would act differently if Tori were the one questioning her.

"What motive would you have?" Tori's eyes drifted to Robbie's image and narrowed as she read the quotation from the child. "Why would you take my sister, and where did you disappear to?" She turned her head to the monitor connected to the camera in the questioning room. Holly seemed to be much different without her there.

The woman was leaning back in her chair, her forearms were crossed and her hands were wrapped around her upper arms. Holly's lip was curled into her left cheek and her shoulders were arched high. Unlike Gary, she wasn't avoiding eye contact, but there was a coldness in her gaze that sent chills down Tori's body.

Across from her was Rick. He wasn't much older than Tori and had thick black hair. His jaw was strong and his eyes were sharper than any sword. "Tell me more about Monica," Rick requested. Tori's head reclined and she bit down on the tip of her pin while watching her mother lean towards the right. "Trina Vega's birth mother, I believe? You did not like her much."

"What was there to like?" Holly rolled her eyes and let her shoulders drop. "She was Trina's mother, of course. I hardly see what she has to do with this case, or even with me." She leaned forward a bit and set her fingertips to her chest. "I've not seen her since she gave up her child."

Tori's lip stretched into a smirk and she felt a rush of pride inside. She knew the woman was lying, they found evidence to suggest otherwise. Rick pointed his finger down to the folder beside him and he furrowed his brow at the woman.

"We have witness testimony that says Trina was afraid of you, and that your most recent argument was over this mother of hers. Tell us about that."

"It was an argument." Holly swept a portion of her hair over her left shoulder and closed her eyes. "She wanted to find her birth mother, she wanted to bring that woman into our lives, and I didn't want any part of that." Holly's thin lips pressed hard against each other and her eyebrows dipped in the middle.

"You felt threatened."

"Yes I thought if that woman got involved in our lives, David would leave me for her and he would take Trina with him." Her hand fell to the table and her body leaned forward. "But that doesn't mean kidnapped my daughter. You're wasting your time on an innocent old woman."

Tori stifled a growl of annoyance and shifted her gaze over to Rick. The man pulled a sheet of paper from the folder and read a quote from the files that Carolyn handed over from her first meeting with Trina.

"She found out I was at the hospital. She was following me today." Holly curled her fingers beneath her chin and tapped her cheek with her forefinger. "She blamed me for getting pregnant and told me she'd sooner kill my baby than to let it be born." Tori uncrossed her legs and folded her arms over the table, narrowing her eyes at the woman.

She felt a strain of hatred and anger rising up in her, but she still wanted to think that this woman had nothing to do with the kidnapping. The question on her mind was how much longer this denial could be silenced. As much as she despised the woman for her arrogance and the hatred she had towards her daughters, in her heart she wanted to believe in her mother's innocence despite her brain's insistence on the woman's guilt.

Holly waved her hand through the air and scoffed. "I might have said something along those lines, but that certainly doesn't mean I had anything to do with my child's disappearance." She put her hands up to her chest and raised her eyebrows. "I loved my children. I could never bring myself to hurt them."

"If that is the case, then why was David's oldest so terrified of you?" Holly's shoulders and arms fell and a heavy sigh escaped her.

"We're discussing my innocence in my daughter's kidnapping, not my maternal conduct. Yes I've done many things as my kids were growing up that I'm not proud of, but I'm still a mother and I could _never_ hurt them."

Tori sneered at the screen and folded her arms across her chest. "You don't even deserve to call yourself Trina's mother." The words fell from her mouth with a great deal of animosity. She wanted to enter the room and see how quickly her mother's mood could change, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

"Regardless officer, I came here because my daughter wanted to ask me questions. Where is she? I won't say anymore until she's in here." Tori pressed her lips together, then separated them with a violent huff. She grabbed the top of the chair and rose up, pushing the swivel chair away.

"You want me?" Tori cracked her neck and swiped a folder off her desk. At this point, Rick was the good cop. Holly expected to be questioned by her daughter, but what she was going to get was just another police officer trying to solve a case. "Be careful what you ask for."

She burst into the questioning room and Holly's head shot up to the door. Rick was now hunched over the table with his hands folded at his chin. Tori dropped the folder onto the table, it opened upon landing and revealed the photo of the new crime scene where Trina was taken.

Holly looked to the picture, but her posture and facial expression remained the same. "What is this?"

"This is where she was taken." Tori struck the photo with her finger and her voice started to rise. "So drop the act, and tell us what we want to know. Why did you lie to investigators about seeing Trina leave the premises?"

After several seconds of silence, Holly's body began to tremble and her voice shook. "I thought she came home. Tori, sweetie, I couldn't have done anything to your sister."

"We know you weren't the one that took her, and we are not accusing you of being the one to physically grab her. What we want to know-" She removed a photo of Robbie and set it in front of Holly. "Is if there is any connection between you, and Robert Shapiro."

"He was your friend, he was Trina's friend. What could-"

"He is the one that grabbed her." Holly clutched her chest and choked up a sob. Tori looked up to the ceiling with a scoff and swept her hands through her hair. She could feel the storm of adrenaline inside of her and was trying her best to keep calm. "Shapiro is a coward, the only way he would have acted is if he'd been coerced. We have witness statements describing his actions as nervous, and he has been missing as well for the last nine years."

"W-What are you thinking?"

"Here's my theory." She narrowed her eyes and walked around her mother, sliding her hand along the top of the seat. "Tell me how close I am." She watched her mother's act with a feeling of disbelief, knowing full well that the woman wanted to act like the caring mother once she entered. "You hated the victim, so when you found out she wanted to bring Monica back into hers and her father's life when you were going through a divorce, you were threatened. Terrified."

Her hand fell onto Holly's shoulder and she leaned down behind her, keeping her head beside the woman's. "So you had her kidnapped, but to avoid suspicion, you forced the weakest person you knew to take her. I suspect Mr. Shapiro may very well be dead now, perhaps because he knew too much and grew useless once he brought her to you."

"I didn't have anything to do with Trina's disappearance!" Holly whimpered and shook her head violently. "I know that we've had our disagreements but I loved her, I loved her like she was my own. You of all people should know that, sweetheart! I'm your mommy, I love you baby."

"Yes you are my mother, but you were never Trina's, and you could never stomach that. You felt your husband did not love you, and you were terrified that if she found her birth mother, he would fall in love with the woman all over again."

"I was going through a divorce!"

"That he filed for!"

Holly's hand moved over her eyes and she began to weep. Tori wrapped her fingers over the top of the chair and tapped it gently. Her left hand fell onto her hip and she met Rick's quizzical gaze.

"Why are you yelling at me, Tori? Why are you yelling at your mother? I've always loved you, and you yell at me after everything I've done for you? I gave birth to you."

"Yes, because giving birth to someone is always cause for loyalty." She rolled her eyes and removed her hand from the chair. "I am a cop right now, and you are suspected of being involved in a girl's abduction. So if you want to clear your name, right now would be a good time to drop the act and cooperate with us."

Rick dropped his hands and tapped the table, drawing Holly's attention. He looked into her eyes and reclined slowly. "You know, Mrs. Malone, I come from town in Mexico known for its violence and drug running, it is also known for having one of the worst prisons in the country. The prisoners there are sometimes not fed for days, there is no light…" He pointed to his eyes. "Many go blind from the constant exposure to darkness."

Tori pursed her lips and tilted her head to the right. Rick always told her that his mother was from Puerto Rico, not Mexico. "I thought you from Puerto Rico?"

"My mother is from there, my father is Mexican."

"Oh."

Holly wiped her eyes with trembling hands. "What does that have to do with this?"

"You should be thankful that in America, prisoners are given a life of luxury. In this country, you are allowed to play softball in the prison yards, you are given work and three meals a day. You are given the ability to watch television, to work out in prison rec centers and given opportunity to socialize with other inmates."

"So? It's nice to know that all my tax money goes to giving prisoners a life that prisoners in other countries cannot be given." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but confusion as well. "Where are you going with this."

"Simply saying that you should be fortunate, because at the rate you are going, you will soon be one of those inmates. If you start cooperating and give us something that would give evidence that you are in no way involved in the abduction of Trina Vega, you could avoid prison."

"If you think I'm guilty of something, then charge me." Holly stood up and swept her long brown hair over her shoulder with a dramatic flair. "I'm a mother, if you think I would have _anything_ to do with this when you know perfectly well that the boy right there is the one that grabbed my daughter-" Tori inhaled as Holly pointed to the picture and growled at the two of them. "Then you're wasting your time on an innocent mother who loved her children. Now I think we're done here, and I have nothing more to say. Goodbye."

They watched as the woman stormed off. Since she wasn't being charged with anything, they could do nothing to stop her. When a witness, or even a suspect was done, they were done.

"What are your thoughts?" Rick asked. "It seems we've gotten nowhere on this case."

"I think she's a liar."

"I believe she is…Pensé Jade fue el duro policía." Tori smirked and folded her arms.

"I can be just as harsh, if not worse, when I need to be." She took a seat and looked over to the door. She needed to find a connection linking Holly to Robbie, or at least find evidence to prove Holly had nothing to do with the crime. Being somebody's mother was never evidence to support innocence, especially in a case where the victim's relationship isn't truly biological.

"So Rick, you were saying…this prison?" From what she knew of, his brother ran the prison in Mexico.

"My brother is friendly with the Chief of Los Angeles. There are some special occasions which the Chief will send a prisoner to my brother's prison."

It sounded shady to her, but she was intrigued. Just the thought of the prison in Mexico made her skin crawl. Yet some prisoners deserved such harsh conditions. "How is that transaction even allowed?"

"I don't know. Your family is from Spain, correct?" She nodded and crossed her legs. Her father's family came over from Spain when he was just three years old, so she always had to correct people when they asked if she was Mexican. Though someone that was from Mexico, Spain, or even Puerto Rico could usually tell.

There are differences to the dialect and culture of each country, and it was always important not to get them mixed up.

"In Spain, the politics are different, all the way down to their treatment of prisoners. The prisons there tend to be more lenient towards inmates, though not as lenient as American prisons. In Mexico, politics do not care about inmates. The laws down there are much different, and if the legal system there wishes to put somebody in prison-they will find something. No one will bat an eye anymore if an American inmate is found guilty of a crime in Mexico, and therefore extradited."

He was putting an idea into her head, likely for a reason, and she liked it. "It doesn't sound right, but it's definitely something to think about. I could never do that." Though lately, she was beginning to feel that if she were angry enough, she could cause a great deal of pain to somebody. "I guess we really don't know what we're capable of doing until we're put in a particular situation, though..."

"Muy Cierto, mi Corazón."

Her anger receded and a smile grew on her face as a gentle warmth overtook her. "Not on the job, Rico." He slid his hand through his short black hair and chuckled at her. She opened her eyes and leaned her head slightly to rest on her closed hand. "Shift's over, but I need to go over the case some more."

"There's a coffee shop down the way. Let's take five minutes?"

"Certainly. Dad could be right, I need to relax, so coffee couldn't hurt." She rubbed her shoulder and groaned as a painful sensation shot down her back. "And a massage would certainly help."

"I would be most happy to oblige." She smirked playfully and stood up. "Five minutes, you say?"

"Maybe a little longer, I feel like I need a deeper massage than that."

"Deep and longer." He stood up and smirked back at her. "I can do that."

* * *

So Holly seemed avoidant. Also a little surprise there at the end for you. See, I've not revealed everything about the characters yet. If you don't know who the man is, by the way, it will become obvious in a later chapter. Of course they're going to be talking about singing and singers in a later chapter-just a little hint for my dear readers


	14. Andre's Plot

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I'm going to have to slow down here with the Fall Semester starting, but hey, don't stop reading because updates will come on everything I've got going on. Here's what's going on this chapter.

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Chapter 14 (Andre's Plot)

"Alright kid, you've looked pissed since we left that cemetery, what's going on?"

"Nothing." Andre shrugged as Gary parked in the garage. "I have nothing to say. Go ahead and kill my sister if you want, since I refuse to talk." Gary frowned at him and Andre quickly pushed open the door. The amount of anger and hatred in his heart was now far beyond that of anything he felt over the years.

Gary hung his forearm over the steering wheel. "Listen kid, just because you think you can act all macho-" Andre stopped in place and lifted his right hand, curling all fingers but his index.

"And one more thing." His head rolled to the right until he felt a pop in his neck. He then turned toward the car and his chest expanded. "I'm not ', I'm a twenty-seven year old man named André. Get it right." The man's shoulders fell and he closed his mouth.

Before Gary could respond, Andre entered the house. He had plans now, and Gary was too ignorant to figure it out. He'd become far too trusting that his control was strong enough that he could look away and expect Andre to be loyal.

Once inside, he slipped his hand into his pocket and looked over his shoulder. As he removed his hand, his fingers were clinging tightly to a small phone he purchased at Walmart.

During the drive he'd convinced Gary that he needed to by some itch cream for a heat rash. It was during this stop at the Walmart pharmacy that Gary went off to look for groceries, and Andre slipped into the electronics section to buy a phone and one of the Virgin mobile phone plan cards.

After the purchase, he went into the bathroom and set everything up. He wasn't going to expose Gary or Holly just yet, he wanted them to think he was loyal still-their discovery had to be on accident and not thought to be done by someone on the inside. If they suspected any of them of letting it out, then they would kill everybody-even Trina.

"I've got to be careful how I do this," he whispered to himself. He'd already sent text messages to Jesse from the phone, claiming to be Trina. This was due to the man having given Trina his cell phone number once before.

The next step was easy, during the text messaging he'd been able to ask Jesse for Sam's phone number as well.

"It's time for Cat Valentine to magically appear after nine years." He turned his head to the stairway and the corner of his lip tucked into a smirk. "Then Saturday, Trina's getting a day of freedom, and there isn't a damn thing Holly or Gary are going to do about it."

He rushed into the bathroom and turned on the phone, then glanced through the text messages. While looking once more for the news that confirmed Victoria's survival, his heart was racing. Somewhere, Jesse mentioned that Tori found Tori's niece, and Andre wanted that text message to be the first message Trina could find.

Holly was still gone, much to Andre's pleasure. "While the cat's away, the mouse's gonna play." His excitement grew as he stumbled across the text. It wasn't going to be easy explaining this to Trina, but knowing how close she'd grown to the man, he had a good feeling she'd cling to those texts and study them as if they were a part of the most enticing novel known to man.

"I can't believe you did this…" An hour later Trina was holding onto the phone with trembling hands. Her tear-filled eyes. In the dark, the phone cast a blue glow onto her face, illuminating the watery drops rolling along her cheeks. The bruises that had been inflicted on her were much lighter now, and as long as he kept Holly from doing anything in the next few days, Cat wouldn't have to worry about getting her all dolled up with concealer.

"That man is somehow important to you and he's shown up on a regular basis for two years now."

"I-I don't understand. You can't possibly pull this off…A full day? Where the hell are you going to be?" She cast her head upwards to him, shooting off a distressed glance. "What about Holly? Gary?"

"Gary's too trusting of me. You let me worry about Holly." His mind was already spinning with plans and ideas about how to deal with the woman. The biggest issue was that he needed a distraction. "They have nothing to hold over my head anymore, but we still have to be careful about this."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't put you or Cat at risk." He took a deep breath and lifted his hand, pointing to the phone. "You can see Jesse, I'll be around. You just cannot tell him where you're being held." She started to whine and he moved his finger up to his lips. "I said nothing about him finding out on his own."

Her body froze and her look of worry turned to confusion. "I don't follow."

"Simple. Gary and Holly know your case is being worked. As you see from those texts, Jesse is helping with it. If the police can discover your whereabouts on their own, and rescue you on their own, then that's better. If you were to run away or tell someone where you were, those two would suspect it was an inside job. That could throw you and Cat at risk. I don't want that to happen. This needs to happen naturally, I need time to work out a full plan…"

"So you want me to cooperate?" Trina pressed her lips together and her fingers tightened around the phone. "I've been held here for nine years, how much longer am I going to be here?"

"Not much, I promise you. The wheels are turning as I speak…" Trina's body began to tremble, and once more an inconsolable cry erupted from her lips. "Do you trust me now? Proof that not only is your sister doing everything in her power to find you, but she's the one that found Victoria."

"More than anything." Trina wiped her eyes and stared at the phone. "I want more than anything to see my little girl again."

"You will. Even if it kills me, I'm going to find a way." Andre crossed his arms and glanced to the phone, he was overcome with a sense of confidence and joy over beginning to atone for all the things he'd seen and done over the last nine years. "You didn't deserve this hell, Victoria didn't deserve to be born into it. None of us deserved this life…I've done some pretty unforgivable things in the last few years. Murder, theft, watching whenever Holly struck you, Victoria, and even Cat…"

"None of it's your fault, Andre." He frowned and set his hand to her shoulder. When she flinched, he pulled away.

"It says a lot that you don't blame me after all these years." Andre caught the distinct sorrow in her eyes. The only time there was any light was when she was at that café and Jesse was there, and he wanted nothing more than to see that light again. "I'm a part of the problem, still."

"Yeah, but-"

"You don't need to make excuses for me. I'm nothing but a henchman. A kidnapper. _Your_ kidnapper." She quieted down and her muscles began to tense. "And if I die, I'm going to make sure the last thing I see is you and Cat safe."

"You're not going to die, Andre. You…you're not a bad guy-you're not evil."

"It may be hard to believe, but there's always grey area. In everyone. I'm your kidnapper, and that's what everyone has to believe."

"Why? What are you trying to accomplish?"

He closed his eyes and groaned softly as his heart pulsed heavily in his chest. "Getting you and Cat out of here alive is my only priority now." The rest didn't matter. Many of his actions had been done willingly and many things were done out of malice. While yes, he protected Trina the best that he could throughout the years, his hands had been tied many times.

"Sitting there, Trina. Watching a mother-" His breathing grew shallow and a tight knot formed in his throat. "Forced to watch her child grow up abused by a woman she didn't know was her grandmother…" Trina's arms dropped and her eyebrows pressed together. "No murder I've committed, no robbery I've done in Holly's name or any crime I've done could ever come close to the atrocity of that sin. Nothing forgives allowing or being involved in watching a mother abuse her daughter and granddaughter for nine years."

She extended the phone to him as though it were a peace offering, or a sign of trust. "The fact that you're willing to do this." His lips pulled back into his cheeks and he took the phone. "Shows that you're not a bad person."

"I'm their most trusted and valued henchman, Trina. I'm a kidnapper and a murderer, an accessory to their crimes. Even if I can save you, even if I can save Cat, the world will always know me as one thing: Kidnapper. Psychopath. Killer. _Criminal."_

"Maybe so, but we know the truth. You came looking for me, you went looking for Robbie and Cat, and you found us." He shifted to the right and looked away, tensing at the memory of his sole manhunt nearly nine years ago. He followed Gary and snuck into the mansion, thereby learning the truth. "Whatever the reason, you had a hunch and you found us. Gary and Holly forced you to work with them. Yes you get angry a lot, and I know Robbie's wound up with a lot of injuries because of you, but you're not a bad person."

"No judge will ever see it that way." He didn't want to hear anything else. It was clear in his heart and mind that he was very much a darkened soul, because no one could do the things he'd done over the years and be good.

"At least…you haven't been driven insane like Robbie."

"Yeah. I'll come get you on Saturday. Once I've found a way to get Holly out of the way." It wouldn't be easy, but he knew he could find something. At first he thought to implicate Robbie of something, and to have Holly take the man somewhere that day, but he needed something better. As for Gary, all he had to do was force the man to allow this, but persuading him that nothing could possibly go wrong wasn't difficult. "Hey, they've seen me be loyal to them for nine years, Trina. There's no reason for them to suspect a damn thing."

"So what will you do?"

"I don't know yet." He stared down at the phone and ran his tongue briskly across his lips. "But my first step will be getting Cat to call Sam. That woman needs to know Cat's alive out there."

"You." Trina leaned back against the wall and her eyes darted around on the floor. "You want to give Jesse and Sam a reason to push harder to look for us?" Andre started to chuckle as Trina looked up to him with shock filling her eyes. "Letting me have a day with Jesse, letting Cat contact Sam? They're both going to know something's up."

"Yes, and they already are helping your sister try and look for you. Giving them something physical to trace, something to track, making sure nothing comes back to us that would give Holly reason to suspect an inside job…They will look for you, all of them. They will find you and Cat, and they will be your heroes."

"And you won't?" She raised an eyebrow and he shook his head.

"I told you already." Her lips fell and he pushed open the cell door. "I'm just a villain."

* * *

So Andre's got some ideas about how he can work things out, maybe anonymously help the investigators. What are your thoughts going into this chapter?


	15. Brighter Day

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Also when classes begin, I'm going to be uploading my stuff more towards the morning if I can.

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Chapter 15 (David's Brighter Day)

David felt strong while walking with Victoria in the park. Watching her admire seemingly each leaf on every tree and every petal on any flower they came across made his heart swell with pride. For once in the last few years he felt a reason to move on and to live.

This child coming into his life was nothing short of a miracle, and he wanted to do everything he could to be a good grandfather. He gazed up at the clouds and smiled pleasantly as the child sniffed a flower on a bush in front of him.

After several seconds of silence, he was startled Victoria's voice. "Tell me more about Mama?" His chest loosened and he dropped his eyes down to see Victoria looking up with curiosity. "Before bad people." Her tiny fingers were clutching the stem of a California Poppy. Her bright eyes were focused on him, however, and her tiny nose sniffled. "What was she like before, Grandpa? Was she close with Aunt Tori?"

It took a moment to recover from the shock of her speaking, though he knew it would happen eventually. The muscles in his face relaxed and he motioned her over to a nearby park bench.

Victoria climbed onto the bench and sat beside him. Her hands folded in her lap and she turned her head up to look at him. "Your mother meant more to me than she knew." His heart filled with joy when she smiled. "She loved your aunt, and Tori loved her. They argued like siblings do, but they still loved each other." Victoria turned her head down and shrugged.

"Momma always talked about her, and I wished I had a sister."

He took a deep breath and looked at the trees in front of him. It made him happy to hear that Trina at least held onto the memory of her sister, because at least that would hopefully keep her going.

"You knew your aunt when you saw her?" Victoria nodded once and stretched her arms out in front of her.

"Momma had a picture." The girl leaned into him and set her head on the side of his body. He moved his arm around her shoulders and gently kissed the top of her head. "Not all people there are bad, some made to be there. One of them was like a guardian." He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head back.

"Guardian?"

Victoria's eyes clenched and her head bobbed for a second. "He would stop them from hurting momma too much. He even gave me books, let momma teach me to read and to write."

This was a stunning development, and this guardian were real, then it explained how Victoria was not horribly underdeveloped. "This nice man, why didn't he ever get help?"

"All scared of bad lady. I remember them talking about their moms and dads being killed. The guardian lost his dad and brothers, he was worried about his grandma and his sister." This sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't picture the man. He didn't want to press Victoria to talk about anything, so it was best to just let her give information at her own pace.

Victoria moved her head up and a pleasant smile slid across her face. "There was another good guy, a knight. He was a knight but he doesn't live in the castle with the bad people or the guardian." It sounded like she was retelling a story, or at the very least, associating real people with characters in one of the storybooks this 'guardian' had given her.

Inspired, his smile grew and he gazed in wonder at the gleam in the girl's eyes. "Mama likes him, he makes us feel safe."

"This knight." His eyebrows slid down into small lines over his eyes and he scratched at his chin. "Tell me more about him. How do you know him? Does he know you and your mother being held in this 'castle'?"

"No. Mama not allowed to say. Evil man listens in with a radio and watches from a distance." She took a deep breath and reached up to her hair, running her fingers through the tip while looking towards her feet. "Guardian allows it, he makes evil man let mom outside once a month and we meet the knight at a café. I think he likes momma too. He's a policeman. That's why the guardian has to disguise her."

"Is that why this man is a knight, dear?" To his amazement, she shook her head. Her eyes seemed to light up as she talked about this man, which was a good sign. It was a relief to hear that even in the darkest time, Trina and her daughter had some degree of happiness.

"Knight. He says he was once a part of a group of knights called the Black Knights." His eyebrows shot up and he glanced off to the side. The name was familiar, but that particular group had been disbanded a very long time ago. They were a gang, but they didn't deal in many criminal activities since their leader had been trying to change that. After some time, this leader gave up and disbanded the Knights.

"I wish the knight would save my mommy. Aunt Tori and that lady at the ice cream shop talked about him."

"Samantha? The blonde lady that came up to the table?"

"Yes." He snapped his fingers and cupped his hand over his mouth. He had a sinking suspicion who this 'knight' was, and if he was correct, then the man would most certainly want to help. Still, he couldn't assume much.

"Does your mother _trust_ this man?"

"I think so, we've met him for two years. She's always happy when she can see him, then cries when she misses him. She talks more about him now than my dad, but she always seems sad, like she's confused about something…"

"I see. And this Guardian? Do you feel comfortable talking about him, and was he the one that tied you to that tree?" Victoria flinched and grew quiet. When she spoke, her voice was soft.

"The evil lady made him kill someone. He and the nice woman wanted me to be found, and the bad people found out so they blamed it on the madman." His finger slid across his chin and he furrowed his brow.

Clearly she was talking about the Shapiro murders, which meant the case was connected. Tori needed to know this.

"The guardian wanted to leave me by the creek, but the evil lady tied me up. I think she…" He saw the tears in her eyes and pulled her close. His heart sank as the girl's body trembled ferociously.

"Shh, it's okay, I understand." The woman wanted her dead, the revelation was startling. Remembering Tori's story about finding the girl, it sounded like she'd been just in time. "You don't have to say anything more if you don't want to." He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her upper arm, consoling his granddaughter the best that he could. "That evil lady can't hurt you anymore."

"But she has mommy, and if I'm not with mommy, then mommy won't make it." The terror in her eyes crushed him, but at the same time, it made him want to fight that much harder to find Trina. Not for his sake anymore, not for Tori's or for Trina's, but for Victoria.

"She'll make it sweetheart. I promise you, we're going to get her out. If this 'Guardian' is still there, then maybe he will keep her from harm. Then we'll find this Knight, and have him help us in saving your mother." When she looked up to him, her eyes so full of hope, a smile flickered on his face. "We'll all go. Your aunt, Jade, Beckett, this knight…we'll go like a pack of mighty warriors against a dragon and take the castle. When we do, we'll bring your mother back to you."

He had to mention Beck in this outfit, primarily because the man said he wanted in on it. Tori had in mind to take command once she found the place, and she fully planned to raid it. When Beck learned of Robbie's possible involvement, he demanded to join the police force when this raid took place.

"I've been too scared to talk, because I was always told to be quiet. I didn't want to get hurt." She tensed and cuddled closer to him. His heart broke at her words, so rather than say anything he held her protectively in his arms. Nobody was going to harm her if he had anything to say about it.

"You say whatever it is that you want to, you will never be in trouble for talking." He did feel a bit of satisfaction that she started talking fully to him before  
Tori, almost as though it were an accomplishment.

She closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms. The sun lit her soft cheeks aglow, and her lips seemed to pucker as she let herself drift away. "I love you, Grandpa." His eyes widened and his heart skipped. Tears began to glisten in his eyes, and he moved a trembling hand up to his chest.

"I love you too sweetie."

The minutes of blissful silence soon turned into hours, and David remained holding his granddaughter and watching the clouds in the sky roll by.

The silence was interrupted by someone addressing him by name. He turned to the surprised speaker, uncertain as to who it was. When he saw her and made eye contact, he knew her face in an instant.

The woman was nearly as tall as he was, er face was slightly wrinkled and her eyes had crow's feet stretching out. Her once long raven-colored hair was now grey and up in a perm. Her blue jogging outfit matched her bright blue eyes, and her lips matched the soft, tanned skin.

David's heart began to race as the woman's brow furrowed and her curious eyes drifted to the young girl beside him. "Monica?" Her name fell out with a stammer and he quickly looked to Victoria, motioning at the sleeping child. "This is Victoria, my granddaughter. Katrina's daughter."

"Katrina?" Monica put her hand up to her chest and exhaled slowly. "How-How is she?"

"We're looking for her."

"What?" The woman's eyes darted back to him and a wrinkle pushed up between her eyebrows. "What do you mean you're looking for her?"

"She was taken from, us." He watched her fingers tremble and took note of what appeared to be a sign of Parkinson's. "l thought you might know."

"No." Monica sat on the bench beside him and looked to the child with a sorrowful gaze. "The last time I heard, she contacted me about nine years ago. I thought she wanted to come see me, then she stopped and I assumed she wanted nothing more to do with me-"

"That would probably be around the time she was taken." He was amazed that Monica wanted to see Trina at all, but this was good. His lips curled into a smile and he watched her move her hand away from her chest. "Where's your family at? Are they here with you?"

"No. I…never married." His eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell open. "I regret a lot of things though, mostly leaving my child behind."

"It was your decision, Monica." The woman couldn't raise a daughter on waitress money, and her parents absolutely refused to help her raise a child out of wedlock.

"No it wasn't." His frown deepened and Monica let out a deep sigh. "The minute I gave Trina up, they had the church make me go on a mission in Africa. I never could make contact with you, and when I got back…you moved on. I just figured you wanted nothing to do with me either."

His heart sank and a soft gasp drifted from his lips. "Oh Monica, that couldn't be any farther from the truth." The center of his eyebrows curled upwards and Monica's beautiful eyes glistened with tears. "Why would you think that? Growing up, Trina always asked about you. She wanted her mother-her stepmom was…" He cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "There are many ways to say it, but you get the idea."

"I know. She's the one that answered the phone when I called you." Everything around him ceased and he raised an eyebrow at her. During Trina's entire life, not once did he hear from her. Holly never mentioned anything about it either.

"You called?"

"A couple of times. I was on that mission for nearly ten years, mom and dad kept telling me I had to go through the entire thing." Her father was the preacher, and Monica had never been that religious simply due to her parents constantly shoving religion down their throat. "Dad passed away and I was able to come back home. First thing I did was try to contact you, and your wife answered-she didn't sound happy and told me you didn't want me in your life or in Trina's. Every time I tried to call after that, she just…she made threats, so I stopped. Then Trina contacted me nine years ago."

"You could have called again after that. Why didn't you?"

"Because your wife called after that. She told me you were divorcing her, and if I tried to make contact with you again-"

"I got it." He leaned back on the bench and let out a soft groan. His heart was in pieces now, and with no way to put them back together. "I have no idea where she is. Tori, my other daughter, is a detective. She's looking for Trina, and right now we think Holly might be behind the disappearance."

Monica's hands moved over her mouth and her watery eyes finally exploded into tears.

Victoria's eyes fluttered and she lifted her head up slowly. "Grandpa? Who're you talking to?" She looked over to Monica and rubbed her eyes. David pat her back and started to smile.

"This is your grandmother. Your real grandma. Your mother's mom." Victoria gasped and blinked multiple times. Monica's smile grew and she waved her fingers at the girl. David scratched his chin and gazed in earnest at her. "You know, I would love to catch up with you over dinner. I imagine Victoria is hungry."

Victoria pat her belly and replied with a swift nod. Monica's eyes lit up and her lips slid apart into a cheerful smile. "I'd be happy to. It's been a long time."

"Too long."

* * *

Well this seems good. It's not good how Holly once again manipulated someone's life into a livnig hell. Also good that Victoria finally spoke.


	16. Boiling Over

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (Boiling Over)

Tori peered beyond her hand resting in front of her face, and to her clothes laying on the floor. The blanket that covered her added to the warmth of the man lying beside her with his arm protectively over her waist. "Good as always, Rick." She looked over her shoulder and saw him looking at her with deep emotion and fondness

"Well." He brushed her hair from her face and she felt herself melting into him. "I'm glad I could take your mind off work, if only for a Mi Amor." She pecked him on the lips and set her head back into its prior position on the pillow. Tori moved her hips back against his, sighing with content as he spooned her.

"My mind is always on work, why do you think my father and friends call me a workaholic?"

"Perhaps if you told them about us?"

She rolled her eyes and scrunched her face. "Ugh. I do that and they're all going to butt in." She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "My father, of all people, would have a heart attack celebrating. As much as he harps on me for grandkids. Then Jade, the experienced one would like to butt in with her unsolicited advice about making relationships work-no thanks Rick."

"I understand. Work first." She sat up and ran her hands through the sides of her hair with a heavy sigh. He pushed himself up with one arm and smiled at her as she grabbed her dress shirt from the floor.

"It isn't that." She just didn't want to tell her friends or her father, because this was something good in her life. "Every damn time I've been with a man, they don't know how to shut up and stay out of my relationship. They start to interfere, and all their pressure not only causes me stress, it drives the man away. I'd rather not lose you because they go overboard."

"I see." Rick's eyebrow rose and his head tilted up and to the right. "They could not drive me away."

"It isn't that they mean to, they mean well but just don't know when to butt out." She felt his finger curl over the back of her dress shirt and turned her head over her shoulder while holding the unbuttoned sides. "What is it?"

"The scar on your back. You never talk about it, why?"

She closed her eyes and pulled her shirt up, then fastened the buttons with careful precision. "College boyfriend was an asshole." She didn't want to say much about the guy, and Rick would have to understand that. "He is also the reason that Jade, Beck, Sam, my father and just about everyone else feel the need to advise me on how to handle relationships and how to kick men to the curb if I have to."

"I am sorry." The bed shifted and she felt him kiss her back where the scar was. She felt a shiver of delight as a tingling sensation drifted from his kiss and into her body. "Nobody should do such a thing to such a beautiful woman."

"If you're trying to get me to sleep with you again, we just had sex and I still have an investigation to work on."

"No, I'm being serious." He pushed himself up, using his hand to stabilize himself. She turned to him and found herself lost in his brown eyes once again. "I want you to know that I will always be here for you." He put his hand over his chest and warmed her with a smile. "Siempre tendrás mi corazón."

Her heartbeat quickened and blood shot up to her cheeks. "Usted es una terrible coqueta." She smirked at him and he started to laugh. After a few seconds, she grabbed her blazer and looked towards the door. "You know, for as much crap we gave my sister about her luck with men, I was in the same boat as her. I've had pretty much bad luck with men since Daniel."

"Who was this?"

"First boyfriend. Cheated on me, then played my best friend. Long story."

"I have time if you wish to talk about it?"

"I would." She fastened her blazer with a sigh and grabbed her pants off the floor while standing up. "But I need to get back to this-and I may need to take my blazer to the cleaners now." She looked to the sleeves and picked off the lint. "Since it was on the floor."

Rick pushed off the covers with a heavy sigh. "I will drive you back to the lab." She looked over to him with a small chuckle. "And I will take the coat to the cleaners for you."

"Thank you." She winced with guilt and turned towards him. "I'm sorry, Rick." Maybe her father was right about her being a workaholic, still she a had to devote her time to finding Trina. At least now she was certain that she wasn't chasing a ghost.

"Don't be." He gave her a smile, then kissed her cheek. Her eyes met his and her hand cupped around his which was caressing her cheek. "Duty calls my dear, I understand. It is fine."

Along the way back to the lab, Tori idly ran through her phone. There were no text messages or phone calls, so she wasn't too certain what she was looking for. "Rick, I've often wondered. That singer you say you knew growing up. Whatever happened to her?" Rick raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged.

"She went down a bad path like a lot of other pop stars out there. Humble beginnings to star to trash. Faded away a while ago. Why?"

"No reason." It was just another reason she was happy to give up the unrealistic dream of being a singer. Fame and stardom was too much for her, and she always assumed she'd fade from the spotlight after a while and be replaced by a fresh and new artist. "Back then we used to think singers that danced around like a stripper was crazy, then they started calling it art. Everyone said it was a fad and that it would change, but now what do we have-"

"Music videos with singers dancing full nude, calling it art and saying it's normal." He frowned and shook his head, his fingers tightened on the wheel and he clicked his tongue. "We have Hannah Montana to thank for that. Hay cantos, entonces no es ser un puta. Stripping in a music video for a song that has nothing to do with sex is not art-go work in a strip club if you want to do that."

"I agree." She'd never thought about it like that, but she could see where singers had lost quite a bit of their dignity. "Sure there are some people that like that sort of thing, but I remember my sister always said a singer that is confident in their music doesn't need to diminish themselves by using sex to distract from the song."

"Was your sister supportive of you singing in high school?"

"Yeah. She gave me a hard time sometimes." Tori chuckled and pushed her hand up into her hair. "She always told me though, she'd support me so long as I didn't degrade myself and lose my respect." She thought of something Trina would tell her and smiled as the words came to her mind. "Una ves que usted pierde su dignidad y auto-respeto, nunca se puede recuperar."

Rick chuckled softly and nodded. "So true. I almost feel bad for my old friend. Her brother and father, I've not heard from them in years. Last I did hear, Jackson moved away, changed his name. He said his sister shamed him and the family."

"Seems harsh. Where is she now?"

"I don't know. I think rehab, last I heard anything."

Tori was surprised to see Sam and Jesse at the lab with David and Jade. They were standing around a small table, each looking at each other with inquisitive gazes and quiet voices. "What's going on?" Tori asked. Rico followed her in and waved as the others turned around.

"Victoria spoke. Full conversation." Tori froze in her steps and her jaw fell open as her father removed his hand from his chin. "The Shapiro murder and Trina's disappearance are connected." She cleared her throat and took a strong step forward.

"Tell me more." She was jealous that Victoria spoke to him first, but right now there wasn't time for that. This was a breakthrough in the case, and she had to focus on anything the child might have said. "How much did she tell you that makes you think the murders are connected?"

"She said there was a man who wanted to bring her to safety. The plan was found out by her abductors and this man placed blame on Robbie, so he was forced to murder Robbie's sister. Then an 'evil woman' tied her to that tree."

"Courts accept a child's testimony nowadays, but they're still hesitant. If the two are connected, then we'll need to take over that investigation."

"We're already working on that," Sam stated. "I'll be working on that Saturday, Jesse's off." The blonde smirked at him and nudged his side. "Apparently he's got a date with some mystery woman." Jesse coughed and Tori smirked at the man. "He isn't saying much though."

"It's my personal life," Jesse replied, "I keep to myself."

Tori folded her arms and looked over her shoulder at Rico. "I understand that." Who was she to complain when she was the same way? "Just be careful, Jesse. You know this woman, right?"

"Yeah, we've grown close over our visits with each other." Before he could say much else, Sam's phone rang out. The woman grabbed her phone from the pocket and answered it after giving the others apologetic glances.

"Now is hardly the time for personal calls, Sam."

"I don't recognize the number."

"Then put it on speaker."

Sam did as asked and the voice that answered shocked everyone in the room. "S-Sam? Is this really you?" An eerie silence fell over them like a dense fog, and Sam's eyes started to tear up. The blonde dropped the phone onto the table and hunched forward, planting her palms firmly on the table.

"Cat?" The blonde's hair fell before her face and Tori moved over, setting her hand onto the girl's back. "It can't be. Who is it?" The others surrounded her. It had to be the redhead, even after all these years Tori still recognized the girl's airy voice as if she heard it just the day prior.

"It's me, Sam." Cat emitted a sob and Sam's hand flew up to her mouth. The blonde shook violently as tears ran down her face. Tori pat the girl and spoke up, she needed answers.

"Cat, it's Tori. We're in the Los Angeles crime lab. Where are you? Where have you been?"

"They have me. Holly, Gary, they have me." Tori's hand fell from Sam's back and she stumbled to the side. Hearing Holly's name ripped the air from her lungs. She felt a man's arm around her waist and looked up, Rick was holding her stable. She clutched her aching chest and clenched her eyes, struggling to breathe. "I don't have a lot of time, we tricked Gary. Well, I didn't…They have Trina, they have your sister. They've had her for nine years."

"Shit…"

Sam shook her head and stood straight, her muscles tensed and her jaw grew firm. "Cat. What in the hell are you doing there? Why are you there?" Tori wanted to shout at the girl, to demand the answer, but she knew Sam asking would be best.

"I'm not here willingly, Sam. They kidnapped me too nine years ago." Cat's weeping grew worse and Sam looked up at the others. "I was trying to figure out where Robbie was. I saw him with Gary once and followed them…I wish more than anything that I hadn't done that. God, I-I'm scared Sammy. I need you."

"Cat? Cat are you hurt? What shape is Trina in? Where are you?"

"I-I can't tell you right now exactly where I am." Tori furrowed her brow and stood up as Rick moved his arm away from her. "We don't want Holly and Gary to think it's an inside job, we don't want them to kill either me or Trina. She's alive, she's hurting and terrified…I'm not hurt, but I'm scared they'll kill me. They want to keep Trina alive."

"Why?"

"Holly thinks Trina imprisoned her for twenty years, so she wants to keep Trina imprisoned for that length of time."

Tori began to see red, her fists clenched tight and the panic inside of her turned to that of anger and rage. She started to speak up, but Sam continued the conversation.

"Cat, we're going to get you out of there. I promise! I'll find you, I swear to god I'll find you." Sam's words came out in a breathless rush. Sweat mixed with her tears, and her knuckles were turning white as she grasped the edge of the table.

"How's my Nona, Sam? Have you looked after her?"

"Of course I have, but Cat. She…" Tori cleared her throat and Sam looked over with wide eyes. In Cat's current state, it would be bad to tell her about her grandmother's death. Sam clenched her eyes and started to fall to her knees. Jade and Tori rushed over to catch her, holding her as she covered her eyes with her hand. "I'll tell you when I find you Cat."

"But what if-what if you don't? What if you don't get here in time."

"No. We _will _find you. You and Trina both, and even that Shapiro kid."

"Robbie's gone insane." Tori pressed her lips together and stress lines stretched from them. She stifled a growl and turned away as her stomach flipped and bile turned to hatred. "Oh no! I hear someone down the hall. I'll call you another time, Sam."

"What? No, Cat wait!" Sam pulled away from the girls and screamed at the phone when it clicked off. "Cat!" She pounded her fist on the table then threw her hand over her mouth, screaming loudly. "Goddamn!"

David's calm voice wafted into the air and enticed all to listen. Sam was breathing heavily and a new fire had appeared in her eyes. "We need to monitor any and all calls made by Cat," David suggested, "It's clear to me, Gary and…my ex-wife…have absolutely no idea that girl has a phone." His heavy hair fell on the top of a steel chair and his voice grew heavy. "If you're in an area where you can trace, try to keep her talking long enough to trace."

"So it is true," Tori growled, "My own mother, and one of my former best friends are involved in this…" She saw Rick's concerned gaze, then brushed past him, leaving the group to be alone and collect her thoughts.

"Tori?" Rick started for her and she threw her hand up in the air.

"Not now, Rico. I need to think."

* * *

Thoughts my friends?


	17. The Knight and the Trapped Princess

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: The title is a bit of a play off Victoria's story imitating, but yeah, here's a chapter for ya.

* * *

Chapter 17 (The Knight and the Trapped Princess)

Trina rolled over on the pallet and opened her eyes, groaning softly at the dim light above her. The last few days, Andre had done everything to appease Holly to the point that the woman didn't get angry enough to take her anger out on Trina. Therefore, the bruising had gone down tremendously.

She knew what day today was, and was nervous as hell. When the basement door opened, she sat up and stared at her cell door with great anxiety. There was still a chance that Andre wouldn't be able to get Holly distracted, so she was waiting for him to tell her the bad news. Despite all her anxieties, she couldn't remember the last time she was so eager to see someone as she was Jesse

_"How will Andre manage to get Jesse to try and track us? Assuming his plan even works." _The latch on the door unlocked and she held fast onto her breath. Andre stepped in with a smile across his face, and almost instantly she was relieved.

"I got it, Trina. Holly's taken Robbie to run some errands, and Gary has approved of my sole supervision of your daily activities today." He smirked and crossed his arms. "He says I may as well be promoted, I'm so damn trustworthy."

"How trustworthy?"

"To whom?" His eyebrow rose and he tilted his head to the right. "To you or to him? I thought we already established where my intentions fall, Trina." She closed her eyes and waved her hand in front of her face.

"Yeah, no, nevermind. I got it." She let him help her up and walked with him out of the cell. She wanted to know what errands Holly was running, but for the most part she didn't care. All that mattered was she was being given an entire day with a man who made her feel safe, and she hoped that something good would happen to bring a little extra hope into her life. "When did Holly say she'd be back?"

"Probably close to eight or nine. So our deadline will be at seven. You can't physically tell Jesse where the mansion is, but that doesn't mean we can't leave clues that would allow the police to further their investigation."

"Will this work?"

"It has to." She followed him up the stairs and peered over her shoulder. "Now Jesse may figure out who you are on his own, and I expect that. I expect he will not let you go once that happens." She stopped in the middle of the stairs and clutched the railing in fear. Andre turned and frowned at her. "What's the matter?"

"If that happens, Andre. If Holly and Gary know that I've been found, they'll hurt you and Cat. I really do care about Jesse, I'm happy about this, but if it endangers you and Cat?" Normally she wouldn't care, not after all this time, but seeing what the two were doing for her made her start to trust again.

"Don't worry Trina, I'm obviously going to have to get you back. I've got a plan. You might not like it, but it's the best way…Not only will it get you back without arousing Holly's or Gary's suspicions, but it will make Jesse all that more intent on finding you. Just like Cat's phone call sounds to have driven Sam to a greater desire to find her. Will you trust me that I won't let anything happen?"

"I…" She closed her eyes and swallowed her anxiety before taking a step up. It wasn't as though he hadn't been keeping true to what he'd been saying, but complete trust didn't seem possible. "Yes."

The first place to meet Jesse was at the café. She'd memorized every single text message that had gone on between Andre and Jesse, so there wasn't any worry of him talking about something she didn't know anything about.

She felt her heart jumping to her sleeves when he walked in, his eyebrows were up and there was a look of concern on his face. "I have to admit I was a little surprised you asked for an entire day." Jesse sat down at the table and smiled at her. "That's a step."

Trina chuckled nervously and shrugged. "Well we have been seeing each other for two years now, so maybe a date is overdue? I figured I wanted one, maybe you did, and so I asked." She glanced past him, seeing Andre talking to a waitress and pointing to an item on the café's menu. "I um, I hope you don't think I'm being too forward."

"Not at all." Jesse did look stressed about something, which was concerning to her, but she didn't know how much to ask. If it was work related, she knew from her father that officers couldn't always talk about their cases. "How have you been Katrina?"

"You know you can just call me Trina." He scratched his chin and closed his eyes. A soft hum vibrated from his mouth and he nodded once. "I share the name of that case your friend's working on, right? You mentioned that. Is that what's bothering you?"

"No." He leaned back and hung his elbow over the top of the chair. "As for the case, we might have stumbled on a breakthrough. Tori may be raiding the place her sister's being held at-that much I can say." Her heart skipped a beat and she saw Andre look over. He was able to hear some of what was being said, which was likely a good thing.

"So it's going to be a fight, then?"

"Nine years coming."

"You'll be a part of it?"

"Maybe. My coworker will be, along with Tori's coworker Jade and her husband. I do believe her father has been stepping out of retirement to help with this case too."

She started to tear up and quickly lifted the menu to peer and conceal the tears. "Wow." The thought of all these people looking for her took her breath away. Much less Jade and Beck, or she thought it was Beck. "That woman. Jade. Who is her husband? What does he do for a living?"

"Beck. He's a security guard." She leaned to the right and chuckled at the thought of all these police officers raiding the mansion. "We got a phone call from inside, we're waiting on the caller to call again so we can triangulate the location." He picked up the menu and looked at her with a smile. His strong eyes pulled at her and she turned a smile back at him. "Enough about the case for now."

"Yeah…I am really hungry."

Their next stop was the beach. All the different colors startled her, and she thought she was used to the sunlight by now but she wasn't. Trina held down her hair as the salty ocean breeze blew it about.

The clouds in the sky looked like a warm blanket rising up to wrap around her, and the waves of the ocean never sounded so loud and beautiful before. Even the sand was warm and soft.

"I could spend all day out here, Jesse. I could spend forever on the beach…"

Jesse rolled his head to the side and pointed to a surfer in the distance. Trina's eyes widened and her mouth opened in awe as the surfer moved in a seemingly zig-zag fashion on the wave.

"Marvelous!" She laughed.

"We live in California, and you act like you've never been to the beach." She watched his mouth curl into a handsome, inviting smirk. Her muscles relaxed and her cheeks grew hot. She couldn't just tell him the entire truth, no matter how much she wanted to.

"It has been a while. Some people in California would get tired of beaches." Aside from the café, this had to be the first place she'd seen, and she loved it. Trina released her hair and let it blow in front of her, then she turned to face the ocean. "I remember when I was a little girl. Daddy used to bring me out to the beach, he said I was a fish in the water."

"You were a swimmer, huh?" He moved beside her and gazed out at the ripples.

She was a lot more than that, but this was years ago. Much of what she knew, she could probably pick up, but only with a lot of training. Her muscles were weak and her body tired. "I was one of the top athletes at my school. I knew martial arts, and I could probably beat even you at basketball."

Jesse laughed at her and crossed his arms. "Now down at the department we have a basketball court. Everyone there plays on a team and we have tournaments, I'm one of the taller people there and one of the best players. I would take that as a challenge."

"Oh if I could, I'd take you up on it." Her eyes dropped for the moment and she ignored his question regarding her statement. She had enough strength to move, to walk, and to do other basic activities, but she didn't think she could do anything strenuous.

She looked up into the distance and gazed in splendor at the island. It was lush with tall grass, shrubs, and various trees. It was tempting to swim out there, and as much as she wanted to she couldn't. "Look at that, Jesse." She wrapped her arm around his without thought and pointed out to the island. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Trina's head turned and when she saw how close she was to him, the blood rushed to her cheeks. He smiled, then tore his gaze from hers. "Yes. Incredibly." Her blush increased and she stammered for the moment.

"I-I um, I was wondering about something, Jesse. Can I ask?"

His gaze drifted into the peripheral and his eyebrows rose. "Of course." She swallowed down the nervous lump in her throat and tightened her arm around his.

"I've only been able to go to that café once a month, we met two years ago. What-what made you keep coming? All these visits each month, and I feel like we've grown closer because of it, but still…that's a lot of patience on your part."

"I don't know." His chest expanded slowly, then fell with a quick breath. "There was just something about you that drew me in, I think."

"What?" A smirk came over her, but faded as quickly as it appeared. "I always thought you might have a girlfriend or something and she'd be pissed if she knew you were meeting me."

Watching him, his expression didn't change. The wind was blowing his hair past his strong eyes as they peered out at the ocean. His lips were slightly parted and his lightly toned body was poised in an almost protective manner. It was oddly enticing, but this feeling she had was frightening, and not one she'd dealt with in a very long time.

"You know, Trina." He turned his head toward her, and brought it to a slight tilt. "I haven't dated in many years, and I am not the type to run out on someone I am with. If I'd been with anyone when we first met, that would have been the last time you ever saw me."

"Well then, I'm glad it wasn't." She bit her lower lip and looked over her shoulder, trying to see if they were still being followed. Of course, Andre was now standing at a food vendor that was selling fruits. The vendor was listening to music, so he didn't notice Andre standing beside him.

"So…tell me more about these 'knights' you ran with back in the day." Jesse's eyebrows rose and he laughed. "Because if they were a gang, then were they criminal?"

"Not entirely." He motioned in the air and started walking, she clung to his arm and followed by his side. She was beginning to understand the feeling that Cat talked about in regards to Andre, and how she wanted to cling to that feeling of security. "I was a teenager then and the Black Knights were an organization under my father. They were kind of like a strange version of-you've heard of the Templar Knights, the Knights of the Round Table and so on?"

"Yes."

"Sort of like that. Almost a secret group of people, my dad had them do things that were kind of shady. He passed away, I took over leadership." Jesse scratched his chin and his eyes slanted in thought. "I tried to get them to clean up some of their shadier things. Had somebody very close to me killed as a 'warning' that I shouldn't keep trying to change things."

Trina's hand cupped over her mouth and her eyes widened as a chill shot down her spine. "Oh god. I'm glad you weren't hurt, but, that person?"

"She was innocent in it all." He looked up to the sky and closed his eyes. "She's in a better place. After that, I managed to disband the organization and went into law enforcement. I figured I'd be better at making things better for people in that career field than anything else."

"I agree. My dad was a police officer." Her brow furrowed as a sense of longing met her memory of David. "It's a difficult job, but I imagine it's very rewarding."

"It is."

"Would it be okay if I said that I'm still thinking of you like a knight?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked, then shrugged. When she turned her head back, she saw Andre strike the radio next to the food vendor. A gentle classical tune filled the air, startling her.

Jesse looked over to the vendor, but Andre was now blending in with the nearby crowd. "What's with that all of a sudden?" Trina's heart began pounding when she saw a ball go flying out of the crowd. A small child ran after the ball, and just as it passed directly by her, the child flew past her, making her stumble back with a shout.

He caught her before she fell, and her hands landed on his chest. Seeing Andre's move, part of her wanted to find him and hit him. Trina looked upwards into Jesse's eyes with a furious blush. "I uh-sorry, I didn't mean-"

"You alright?"

"Yeah…" Her lips slid into a smile and her arms moved around his neck. The music charmed her, and his powerful arms filled her with a strong sense of security that she longed for. "Can we dance?" His hands slid back and stopped on her waist, and he nodded at her.

"Of course."

"You can lead, it's been a long time for me." She let him guide her in a two-step motion, swaying gently to the right. His left hand pulled and she took a step forward, turning with him.

The music and the sounds around her filled her head, but the chatter of people faded away. Looking into his eyes, he was the only one to see. "I feel…safe."

"Safe?"

"Comfortable, like I-like I can trust you."

"I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Her heart swelled as her eyes fell onto his lips. She longed for the feeling of romance, the emotion that she once knew to be love, but she was scared of what would happen if she allowed that.

In his arms she found it difficult to focus on those worries of hers. If only Andre would allow her to run away, she'd tell him everything. She would spill her heart, her fears, and all of her secrets.

As time passed by she followed him everywhere, still clinging to his arm. They spent so much money that she felt guilty, so they had dinner at his place. She could tell Andre was outside the open window in the living room, his head was bobbing in and out of view.

"Thank you for everything." Trina cuddled up with him on the couch, watching the movie on the television with tears in her eyes. She was fortunate it was a romantic movie which she convinced him to play-out of all the action flicks that he had. "Today's just-it's been like a dream."

Furthermore, the man could cook. Supper consisted of marinated chicken breasts, brown rice with vegetables, and some of the best mashed potatoes she'd tasted.

"I'm glad you've had a good time." Her eyes drifted to the clock and she stifled a whine. They only had a few more hours, all too short for her. She wasn't sure exactly what Andre was going to do, especially since she knew she'd have to leave. All she knew was he was going to make a scene somehow, something to make Jesse pursue that much harder.

She nestled herself closer to him and closed her eyes while setting her head on his shoulder. "Don't let me go, Jesse. Please." She opened her eyes and lifted her head. "I think, I'm not sure, two years I've felt this security…this feeling I have when I'm around you." She wasn't sure if it was love or not, but whatever it was, it was strong enough to make her want to feel more of it. "I can trust you. I know my daughter adores you."

His eyes filled with a compassion that no man has looked at her with since Sinjin, and once again she felt herself being pulled towards him. This was her hero, her knight, and she wanted him to be the one to save her. She needed him to see that.

Trina leaned up and her eyes slid down as she willed herself to kiss him. When her lips brushed against his, there was a spark of life and electricity that shot through her. Her mind went back to what Cat described, and she could feel it, the uncontrollable rush, the impulse born out of this security she wanted to cling to.

Her heartbeat joined his and her body began to heat up. After some time, he pulled his head back and she took a deep breath. "I'm not the type to take advantage, Trina."

"I-I know, I just…it's been so long since I've felt this way with anyone." She wanted to be happy, and of course, she had to know that she was safe with the person she wanted to be with, and this was that person. In her mind, if she were to be rescued, Jesse was the one she could see being there for her. "Please."

"You're a great person, you're beautiful and I respect you, but I won't take advantage."

"You're not." She kissed him again and let him fall back onto the couch. His arms slid around her waist and he returned with a strong kiss.

Outside the house Andre played a game on the cheap phone and sighed deeply while listening to what was once a conversation. Now it was something more, and he wanted to leave the area but couldn't because he needed to remain where he was.

"Well this was not a part of the plan." He looked over his shoulder and shook his head. "I guess I understand, and I wish I could leave you with him…" He admired Jesse for not wanting to take advantage, it said a lot about this man. "I approve, Trina. Unfortunately I'm going to have to take you from him, but it shouldn't be much longer that you'll be found."

He didn't want to hurt the man inside, but there was no way in hell Jesse would let her go now. "The knight has to protect the princess from the monster." He paused and lifted his head from the phone. "My fucking god, all the stories I've read to Victoria over the years are getting in _my_ head now!"

"I have to make a confession," Trina's voice buzzed in Andre's ear and he looked up with curiosity. They were clearly finished now, so it was time to start focusing again. "I've been hiding some things from you, Jesse. Not because I want to…I'm afraid to say it."

Andre closed his eyes and started to shake his head. There was nothing wrong with her telling him at this point, but he didn't like it.

"You can tell me anything."

"You'll protect me? When the time comes, you'll find me?"

"What's the matter?"

"Each month that I've gone to that café, it's a gift. I'm allowed to go." Andre lifted himself up slowly and glanced into the window. The two were lying on the couch beneath a blanket that had formerly been on the top of the sofa. "My daughter? She's safe too."

Jesse's eyebrows moved together and his lips separated as Trina looked up to him. "I've always wondered why that café, or why you were there only once a month. I've been trying to figure you out."

"Yeah…and every time, I've been watched. By my kidnappers." Jesse's eyes widened and his body tensed. His arm seemed to slide protectively around her waist and he looked to her with a serious expression.

"You-"

"I've been held captive for a very long time, and they let me out once a month." When Jesse looked to the window, Andre ducked out of sight. "There's at least one person that is trying to help me, and that person allowed me to have this day with you because I wanted to feel safe again. I wanted to see you. That person already protected my daughter, he took her to safety. He made sure my kidnapper doesn't know I'm outside, but I can't tell you where they've been holding me because he doesn't want the kidnappers to suspect an inside job…that's why I can't stay right now."

"There is no way I'm letting you go, you understand that. I said I would protect you."

"I know. I don't know what he has planned, but he said he's going to make sure you have a way to find me."

Andre pulled away from the side of the house and cursed under his breath. _"The shitty fact is that this plan fucked up when you two came to the goddamn house."_ He didn't know the house, and most likely Jesse would have his gun somewhere nearby.

He grabbed a picture from his wallet and smirked with confidence at the car in the image. The back was photographed so that the license plate would be in clear view. "That motherfucker's got to work in order to afford that mansion. Gary may be unlisted, but you see this car, you follow it."

In neat print was the address of Gary's job. He worked in one of the tall business complexes downtown. Also printed were the initials of the days he worked and the times he was in office.

This man seemed smart enough to figure it out, so with that being said, he expected Jesse to find and tail Gary one day.

Andre reached into a side pack hanging on his waist and removed a small dart and makeshift blow gun. He was in no mood for a fight right now. When he heard Jesse say something about calling his partners on the job, Andre's head flew up and he made his way towards the door.

"Sorry Jesse, man. Sorry Trina. There's a reason I got to do this. If they have you, they have no reason to take that mansion, I don't think. They _need_ to take that mansion, they need to rescue Cat. I don't give a fuck about Robbie, but hell, maybe they can help his cracked out ass."

He kicked open the door and growled as Jesse shot up from the couch and Trina cried out. It was time to put on the act. "Found you!" Trina's eyes widened and she pulled the blanket up to her chest.

"No. Don't."

Jesse stepped in front of the couch and glared at Andre. "Is this one of your abductors, Trina?"

Andre didn't let her answer.

"Damn right I am, and I'm taking her back."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Yeah, you know, I thought about it. I'm not in the mood for a fight." He whipped the blow gun and dart to his mouth, took a deep breath, then blew hard into the gun. Jesse's hand flew to his neck and Trina screamed as the man dropped down. "Don't worry Trina, it's just a tranquilizer dart. Let's go."

Trina got up and shook her head. "I didn't want you to hurt him."

"He's not hurt, just knocked out for a few minutes. Now come on!" He lifted the photo and Trina frowned. "I'm leaving this here. It's Gary's work address, his car, and the times that he works. Jesse is going to find you, okay? I'm not going to let Gary or Holly hurt you anymore until Jesse, Sam, Tori, and whoever else is coming for you come. Now let's get moving before the bitch gets back to the mansion!"

* * *

So a lot happened here, Andre did some good, although he might end up regretting not just leaving Trina even though leaving her with Jesse would mean returning without her and getting everybody at the mansion killed. Andre's appearance in Jesse's house also means another thing, Jesse's going to have to tell Tori everything, including Andre's involvement. Should be fun!


	18. Crushed

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 18 (Crushed)

"So Monica, was there anything you actually liked about being overseas?" Tori took a bite of her breakfast and studied the older woman seated beside her father. "It was Africa, right?" Monica sighed heavily and stabbed the pancake with her fork.

"It was not a memorable time for me, dear." That much was evident, but there wasn't any harm in asking. "My father just wanted me to busy myself. His idea of giving me something to do was forcing me to go on a mission trip. I don't mind volunteering to help those in need, but when you're forced to do something that most people would otherwise feel good about, it's actually hard to feel good about it at all."

"I understand." A lot of the woman's pain could be felt and seen without her saying much at all. "It also forced you to stay away from your daughter. I can't possibly imagine what that feels like. I'm sorry." She wasn't going to pretend she knew what it was like, not when she never had a kid herself. She did imagine what it would be like to have Victoria taken from her, which at this point, the child was so close that it would be like tearing a chunk from her heart.

"I'm still processing that woman taking her. Threatening my life if I made contact-what kind of person…"

"Someone very messed up." Tori felt nothing for her own mother that wasn't anger or hatred. She dared not lead herself to believe that Holly didn't abuse Trina when Victoria herself had bruises and said that Trina had been struck too. "We're not that close to finding out where she's holding her, but when we do, I can't tell you what I'd do to Holly."

"You're better than that woman is," Jade said from across the room. She and Beck brought their kids over to play with Victoria, but the child was still asleep. "I know what I would have done when I was a teenager, I can tell you'd probably do the same thing. Just be careful, and remember when we find your sister, we're only there to rescue her, Cat, and to _arrest_ everyone else."

"Oh I'll arrest them." She pushed her food into her mouth and chewed angrily. She visualized Holly standing in front of her sister, striking her. With each violent strike, each terrorized scream, Tori's blood boiled. She wanted to kill the woman, to tear her apart limb by limb and to destroy her for the things she'd done to her sister.

Jade was right in what she said, though. She was better than that. Whenever they found Trina, found Holly, she knew killing the woman would only put her on the same level. Tempting as it was.

David's hand rose over his mouth and his forefinger tapped the indent between his nose and lip. "You know what has me upset?" The others looked to him and his eyes narrowed. "The fact that my former partner on the job has had my daughter for nine years. I trusted that man, I forgave him when he said Holly started the affair." Tori closed her eyes and felt her stomach curl as his voice darkened. "And now I learn that not only has he had my daughter, he had that Shapiro kid by gunpoint in that damn jeep."

"Do we still need physical evidence pointing to them?" Jade asked. The woman lifted her bowl of chowder up to spoon the soup into her mouth. When she finished her bite, she lowered the bowl. "In any investigation we need evidence. What we have is a random phone call from Catherine Valentine telling us herself that she and Trina are trapped. We have Robbie's car that links him to the testimony of that girl across the street-we have no other evidence to prove Holly and Gary had any part of this before or after Robbie took Trina."

"Right." Tori leaned back and looked to the kitchen doorway. "And I don't want to pressure my niece too hard. We cannot pull our evidence from her. We need something more, we need something _physical_."

Testimonies and confessions were always great to have and welcome in court, but very rarely did they win a case without some sort of evidence. This was the truth. DNA evidence was even great, but they just did not have that. The closest thing to DNA evidence was Victoria herself, but her father was Sinjin, and he was not one of the kidnappers.

"We have proof that Robbie was the one that took her." Beck sliced his hand down in the air, motioning and narrowing his eyes as he spoke up. "Your team even got his old Jeep from parents. Did you find anything in that?"

"Blood in the backseat that belonged to Trina." The car had been sitting in the grandmother's garage until the parents took it and put it in their storage. They didn't bother looking in the backseat to clean it up. Regardless of cleaner, luminal would have detected something. "There wasn't much, but it was pretty clear someone struck her in that car. The drops were gravitational as well, which means she was probably hit in the face."

"Damn it, Robbie…"

"Not sure if he's the one that hit her then. If Cat's right, Gary was in the backseat too." The important thing was that Trina's blood implicated Robbie for the abduction. "Very likely he drugged her with some sedative, she woke up at some point during the trip and tried to get out, so her attacker would have struck her."

"Robbie's a definite then," Jade muttered. The woman set her dish on the counter and crossed her arms. Her eyes fell to the floor and a scowl stretched across her face. "I know what you're feeling Tori, Beck and I were friends with him too."

"He didn't take _your_ sibling."

"No. No he didn't."

"She was always harping on me about letting you guys have your way with her. Talking about her, treating her like shit, and I let it happen." She scoffed while Beck and Jade bowed their heads. "I thought, oh she'll get over it. They're harmless! Now I find out Robbie kidnapped my sister from right under my nose, and who else? Who else am I going to find out is behind this?"

Victoria walked into the kitchen and Tori lowered her hands from her face to smile at the child. The girl rubbed her left eye and looked up to those in the room. She was in a floral nightgown that used to be Trina's when she was a young child, and her hair was in a frizzy mess.

"Aunt Tori? There's a car in the driveway." The driveway was beside the guest room. "They woke me up." She pushed back from the table and stood. When she opened her mouth to speak, there was a frantic and heavy knock at the door.

"I'll get that." The others followed her into the living room where Kyle and Amanda were seated on the couch. As she made her way to the door, she heard Jade instruct her kids to move into another room.

She was surprised to see Jesse and Sam when she opened the door. Sam walked in without a word while Jesse stood there looking like he was trying to think of something to say. His eyes fell onto Victoria and his complexion went white.

"Jesse!" Victoria cried with joy. At that, the entire house silenced and Tori watched the girl run forward as though all of time slowed. She leaned backwards and curled a finger over her upper lip, shocked at what she was seeing. Victoria ran straight for Jesse and was now hugging his legs as though she were incredibly familiar with him.

"Aunt Tori, Grandpa, this is momma's knight!"

"Her…knight?"

"What she was talking about in the park," David replied while stepping beside Tori. "The man that Trina's kidnappers let her see once a month." Tori rolled her head to the right and ran her tongue along the roof of her mouth, then flicked it off her upper teeth.

"Jesse?" Jesse closed his eyes and crouched down to Victoria's level. The girl hugged his neck and jumped in place. This was a side of the girl that she'd not seen yet. "Is there something you'd like to explain, and why do I feel the urge to hit you?"

"Give me a moment," Jesse sighed, "Just a moment." He hugged Victoria and raised his eyebrows when the girl asked if he'd seen her mom again. Tori heard Sam cough out the word _'yesterday'_, and she instantly remembered Jesse's date with the 'mystery girl'. "Victoria, we're going to find your mom, and I am going to bring her back." He pat her shoulder and smiled tenderly at the child. "'Knight's' honor, right? But first, I need to have a talk with your aunt, she may or may not kill me in the next few minutes."

Tori's lips lifted but her eyes widened and her eyebrows rose with her annoyance. "Victoria, go play with Kyle and Amanda, okay sweetie?" Victoria nodded and rushed off. Jesse stood up and Tori uncrossed her arms. "Why would I have a reason to kill you, Jesse? Is it about Trina?"

"It is _clearly_ about Trina," Sam chortled. Jesse shot a glare at the woman and let out a heavy sigh.

Tori turned partially and glared out the corner of her eyes. "Sam, I am asking Jesse. If I want side commentary I'll ask you." Sam cleared her throat and Jade moved her hand up to her chest. "Now." Tori looked back to Jesse and growled. "I want answers. Clearly you have not seen Victoria since I rescued her from that creek, but if you had, you probably would have realized something you didn't know, I'm hoping?"

"That is correct. Anytime I've met with her at the café, she's been disguised. The only inkling I had that anything was suspicions over the last two years was her name and the fact that whenever she was there, someone else was too. I never questioned it, but I was curious."

"Okay." She motioned her head into the house and waited for him to take a seat on the couch. At least he didn't know it was her, but she had no doubt that if he knew, he would have brought it up. "You had a day with her on Saturday, I imagine you figured it out then."

"Yes." Jesse bent his elbows on his knee and interlaced his fingers together at his chin. "She confided in me, wanted me to protect her. I told her I would. This was not until the very end of the date." She could smell perfume coming off him, it was burning her nostrils.

"I hate cologne." She wiggled her nose and Jesse dropped his head. "Did you put some on prior to coming here?" He didn't look all that cleaned up. His hair was a mess, his clothes were thrown on and he had a five o'clock shadow. "I'm guessing not?"

"No. I don't wear cologne. That perfume is Trina's, likely put on her by Cat."

"Wait a minute." She narrowed he eyes and leaned forward, sniffing. "Did you do what I _think_ you did?"

"I'm not going to lie. Whatever you ask me, I'll be open and honest." Tori cracked her neck to the side and let her shoulders fall. She was angry, and she wanted to demand further answers, but now was hardly the time. "She did not tell me exactly that she was a kidnapped victim until after the fact. She appeared vulnerable beforehand and I told her that I would not take advantage of her vulnerable state."

"Well that's good of you, because clearly something happened. But if it was consensual, I don't want to hear anything more about it." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. "Where is she now, Jesse? You said you told her you would protect her, so where is she and why did it take you all night to get over here?"

"One of her kidnappers showed up." He pulled down the collar of his shirt and revealed a bright red dot on his neck. "Hit me with a tranquilizer dart. By the time I came to my senses, both of them were gone. Leaving this behind…"

He removed a photograph and Tori swiped it from him. She was amazed to see a vehicle with its license plate. There was also an address and times listed. "I don't know what this has to do with anything, but if the kidnapper left it behind, it might be useful."

"That's what I'm thinking. That guy, somehow he found my house, which means we were followed. I don't know for how long, but just the thought that he was out there…" His eyes narrowed and his muscles tightened.

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"I did." Jesse turned his head up to her and frowned. "He was dark-skinned, had these piercing brown eyes and a brick-like face. His hairstyle was made up like dreads and the hair color was dark brown. The man seemed built like an ox, broad shoulders and a muscular body."

Her nostrils flared out and her eyes fired up with rage as anger and nausea swished around inside of her. She heard Beck utter a curse while Jade screamed and struck the wall.

"I'm going to be sick." There was no need to question who it was, and by the look on everyone's face, those who knew the man were well aware of his description. "I cannot believe…" She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, but calming down wasn't the struggle. The struggle was keeping the vomit which burned her throat from shooting out. "Of all the people. To be involve in my sister's kidnapping." Her chest expanded and her eyes grew until they began to bulge painfully. "The one person in that entire group that I trusted more than_ anybody else…_"

She put her hands to the front of her face and slid them down, growling as her deep anger spun out of control. She was trying not to scream or curse, not with children in the house.

David put his hand to her shoulder and spoke softly, but his calm voice was no comfort to her. "It'll be okay, Tori…" She moved her hand to her stomach and pulled away from him.

"I need to go for walk, or drive, or…be anywhere but here for the next few hours." She motioned to Jesse and looked to the others. "Continue telling them everything, and all of you work on the investigation a little more. I'll be back after I've calmed down."

She stormed to the door and listened to Jade call out to her, saying they're just as upset. This was not the time to have this discussion. When she opened the door, she turned and looked to the picture sitting now on the coffee table.

"And start working on figuring out who's damn car that is. Now!" She stepped out and slammed the door behind her, where she finally let the furious tears fall. _"Two of my best, trusted friends. Who the hell did I let in the house?"_ She was aware that all the answers weren't there, and perhaps there was something more to it, but right now she needed the time alone and time to process what she'd been told. "How could you do this, Andre? I thought I knew you-she even introduced us, asshole. I swear if you've done anything to her, you better hope not to be in my path. Because when I find her, I'm getting her out, and _anyone_ in my way is going down…Start praying."

* * *

Well, the news of Andre hit her hard. What are your thoughts this chapter?


	19. Moment of Doubt

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (Moment of Doubt)

"I'll take another." Tori pushed the empty whiskey glass forward and looked up to the clock. She'd spent hours driving all over town and stopped at the bar for a couple drinks. It had been a long time since she'd drunk anything, but now she was going to take herself to town. "I'm not an alcoholic, I swear."

"How many have you had?" She looked up but the bartender was at the other end of the bar. To her right was a man leaning with his forearm on the bar. He was wearing a cowboy hat and had a charming smirk on his face. "I'll buy you another."

"Fuck it." The man took her whiskey glass and walked off. She furrowed her brow and put her hand to her forehead, groaning as her head started to pulse. "Can't trust anybody." She was certain she only had one or two drinks, but then it was probable she had more. "It's all starting to make sense. Andre, Robbie-I wonder if Cat's just playing innocent at this point."

The man returned and set the glass down in front of her. "Here you go, ma'am. Courtesy of Ted." He sat beside her, still smirking. "You look upset, what's the matter? A pretty face like you shouldn't be out drinking by yourself."

"I can handle myself just fine, thank you." Tori picked up the glass and brought it to her lips. There was something off about this man, and every fiber of her being would normally ignore the prick. "Let me guess, you're just at the bar waiting to hit on any woman that is sitting by herself and looks like she's got a problem? Is that it?" She spun in her chair, chuckling as the man's eyebrows rose. "Well I don't have any problems, I've got no cares in the world and I've already got a man."

"I see no ring, and if you're at a bar by yourself, I wonder if that man is doing anything right." The man lifted his hand up and Tori eyed it with a warning growl in her throat. "Like I said, a lady like you shouldn't be alone in a bar. If you have to be here when your man's back home, then I feel sorry for you."

"There is no trouble. He is plenty satisfying. Mind you, we are dating exclusively."

"I do hope that man will be smart enough to make a good woman out of you then, Miss." Tori took another sip of her drink and closed her eyes. Her stomach and nostrils burned and the throbbing in her chest grew worse.

"I do hope you realize I'm not going home with you. So I'll give you to the count of ten to hightail it before I get pissed more than I already am."

"Now I'm just tryin' to be friendly."

"You know what?" Tori slammed the drink down on the bar and turned to him. There was now half a glass left, and she was beginning to sway. "I think it's rather pathetic, trying to pick up girls at a bar." She leaned forward, glaring into his eyes. "My sister was taken from the streets nine fucking years ago, you think I'm going to let some guy I hardly know take me? You've got another thing coming, asshole."

Her speech began to slur and she was struggling to stay upright. The man looked to some patrons watching and waved at them, chuckling nervously. The bar door opened, striking the bell at the top, but she barely noticed it.

"It does seem that you're exhausted. At least let me walk you to your car."

She jerked her head back and groaned again. Her body was on fire and the lights of the bar were poisoning her eyes. "Fuck it, I can't even drive right now. That wouldn't be legal. I'm not even an alcoholic, I swear…" She felt a hand on her shoulder and she pulled away. "Get the fuck away from me. You do not want to be touching me because-" She got up from the stool and grabbed her purse. "I'll walk home. Get my car tomorrow."

"Now miss, I insist, it is far too dangerous for a young lady to walk from a bar at such an hour. It's late."

He followed her outside and her heart began to race as she stumbled and grabbed the nearby guardrail for the ramp. A pair of headlights turned into the bar and blinded her.

The man took her arm and tugged it. "Come on, I'll take you to your place if you just point the way."

"I said get the fuck away from me." She started going through her purse, trying to find her gun. She panicked when she couldn't find it, or recognize nearly anything else inside. "Shit."

She looked around her and saw only flashes of light and color. "Shit, shit…" Her hand reached out for anything she could find, but landed on nothing. The man's arm slid around her waist and she screamed out, unable to keep him from moving her. "I said get the fuck off me! I am a police officer, do not fuck with me!"

"Now little lady, I'm just going to take you home, that is all."

"I said no." Her vision started to fade and she fell back, groaning as her consciousness started to go.

She thought she heard her name being called, but she could hardly see anything beyond her fingers in front of her. "Now who are you?" The man inquired.

"La última persona que usted verá jamás si no te alejes de mi mujer." She gasped aloud and turned in the direction of Rick's voice, but the turn was far too much for her and she fell to the ground. "Tori?"

"I think he put something in my drink."

"Oh?" The man with the hat started to chuckle and he put his hands up. Just before she fainted, she heard the sound of knuckles cracking followed by the crash of a fist against bone.

Tori awoke to find herself on a brown couch and fully clothed. She moved her hand to her forehead and groaned loudly. When her eyes adjusted, she looked around and breathed in familiar smells. It was Rick's living room, she knew it well.

"W-What happened?" She looked towards the kitchen and saw Rick walking with coffee and soup on a tray. He smiled at her and set the tray on the coffee table in front of her. "Rick? I…" She was ashamed of herself, she let herself get vulnerable enough to nearly be taken by some prowler. "Oh god. That man, I should have been more careful."

"It's not your fault." She sat upright and tucked her hair over her ear as he lifted the coffee mug up to her lips. "Drink, mi amor. Fresh coffee."

"Thank you." Her shoulders fell and she took the drink with her hands and sniffed first to delight in the warm caramel. "What all happened? How did you find me, Rick?"

"Everyone was looking for you. I was driving around and saw your car in front of the bar. I drove in and you were staring right at me." She put her hand to her forehead and winced as the memory of the headlights burned in her brain.

"Oh that was you? I barely remember anything. That man…in the cowboy hat. I think-"

"Ted Brighton. He's wanted for a chain of sexual assault." She lowered the mug and moved her hand up over her mouth. "We took the glass, there were traces of Rohyphenol. That man preys on vulnerable women that are by themselves at places like bars, nightclubs and so on."

"Roofies. Oh god." Her body trembled and she took a large gulp of the coffee. "I can't-I can't believe I let myself-"

"Again, it's not your fault, and I got there in time. You're fine, nothing happened." She turned her lips up and nodded slowly. Rick sat on the couch and she leaned into him, setting her head on his shoulder. "I got a call from Jade, she told me what happened. A breakthrough in your sister's case, it sounds like."

"Breakthrough? Sure. My mother and two of my best friends kidnapped my sister."

"Is this why you were out drinking? You never drink. I'm concerned."

"Yes. I guess I was just stressed out." She felt a shiver run down her spine and slowly looked up. "If you hadn't shown up when you did-"

"You could have fought him off, you're strong. He would not have gotten far." He put his arm protectively around her shoulders and kissed her right temple. "Still I'm glad that I could be there. I could never let anything happen to you."

"He won't hurt anyone else?"

"Of course not, he's in police custody. You could look at it this way, you solved a case without even trying." Her heart leapt up and she quickly kissed his jaw. "Now, about this other case. You're still a homicide detective and you're working a kidnapping. Yes it looks like your mother and two of your best friends have done something incorrigible, but right now all they need to be to you is potential suspects."

"Right. You're right, it's just…difficult. I mean Andre? Andre was my best friend, he was the first of that group! The only reason I'm friends with Jade and Beck is because he was friends with Beck."

"Do you presume Beck and Jade do not feel the same level of betrayal or that they do not have questions too?"

"No…" She hadn't truly thought of that, but all she'd really done was feel sorry for herself. "It's just that it's difficult for me. I grew up trusting them, all of them. I let some of their offenses slide when maybe I shouldn't have-"

"You couldn't have known what would happen in the future. Besides, couldn't they be controlled? Is that not the theory? That Holly could manipulate and control?" She lifted her head and remembered something that Cat said over the phone call, then pounded a fist into the palm of her hand.

"Megan Shapiro and her niece were murdered because they thought Robbie wanted to save my niece. Maybe they are being forced, but…but I don't know, I need proof."

"Think like an investigator and solve your sister's kidnapping before it becomes a homicide." Her lips pursed and she looked into his eyes. "Instead of drowning yourself in alcohol because of your mother or two of your best friends, find the truth. Find them. Solve the case and rescue your sister. Alcohol does not become you, you're better than this. You don't need to depend on alcohol. I love you because you are strong, so be strong!"

"I will be strong." She could do this, she could rescue her sister. Whatever Andre was up to, or even Holly, she didn't care. "I'm a police officer-no, I'm a homicide detective. This isn't an impossible case, just a personal one. I can set aside the personal stuff to the best that I can."

"Don't lie to yourself, though. It is understandable that you would be affected, you just need to try your best to get past it. Don't doubt yourself." Rick took her hand and kissed it, causing her to swoon. "You are smart, you are beautiful, and you can do this."

She leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. He smiled back at her and let out a sigh as she leaned back. "Thank you, Rick. Thank you for being someone I can trust in this world…" She took a deep breath and set her head down to his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too, and you can always trust me. I will always be here for you, mi amor."

* * *

Just got to keep on moving forward


	20. Plans Asunder

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Now not every chapter's going to be exciting XD, it's all a part of a story though. College semester's starting up, and everyone's heading back to classes. Here's your honorary chapter, do enjoy! haha.

* * *

Chapter 20 (Plans Asunder)

"You've not gone in to work for the last few days." Andre's gaze slanted on Gary and his nostrils flared. Cat was to his right and Robbie to his left. Gary and Holly were across the table. "And your car. Where is it?"

Gary lowered his spoon to his sou. "The shop." He shut his eyes and felt Cat's hand on his knee. "And I'm off work for a little while, Holly needs me to focus on some stuff." His mouth tightened and anger rushed through him. "Why so curious Andre?"

"No reason. Just noticed you were in the house a lot more lately." He was getting anxious, and now he had absolutely no idea what to do. The police were supposed to follow Gary home from work, that was the whole point of the `photograph. At this rate, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.

Robbie stood from the table and took his empty plate to the sink. "Andre? Can I talk to you in the other room?" Andre's response was a grunt, so Robbie repeated himself more firmly. Sensing the urgency, Andre got up and followed him out.

"What's the problem, Shapiro?" He was having difficulty focusing on anything other than what happened the other night with Jesse. Part of him thought he could have at least let it be known that he was helping, because he knew it would get back to Tori, and Tori was going to be devastated. The two of them had been closer than anyone else in that group was with her.

"Things are getting worse. Way worse." Robbie was sweating and looking in the direction of the kitchen. His voice was hushed and he was wringing his hands. "I've been sitting on this, but I have to bring it up."

"Nothing ever seems to." He rolled his head to the right and rubbed his neck where a painful sensation was bothering him. "I expect things are going to get worse since Holly went in for questioning. The woman seems like she's been pissed ever since she got back."

"Yeah. Would you _like_ to know why?"

"I know why. Tori suspects her. Learned a couple other things too…Tori knows damn well you were the one that took her sister." Robbie's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head.

"Not important right now!" Andre crossed his arms and leaned his head back to peer down his nose at the man.

"I really don't want to talk to you, man."

"Come on, hear me out." He turned his back to Robbie and started for the other room, stopping to listen to Robbie. "You took Trina out for the day, I had to go with Holly. Would you like to hear what Holly was doing? Because she doesn't want you knowing yet, and I'm trying to throw you a goddamn bone here. So for once, forget about our fucking feud and listen to me, asshole!"

"I'll bite." Robbie motioned for him to follow and guided him up to his own room. "Why are we in my room?" The man struck the television and shifted to the news channel.

He took a slow step forward and studied the headlines. There'd been recent prison escapes from prisons all over Los Angeles and down to parts of Mexico. Pain spread over Andre's chest as he tried to figure out what all this meant, but clearly much of the escapees came were on the same day, and that was last Saturday.

"What the fuck is this, Robbie?" If Holly was behind these criminals still at large, what was the plan? It looked as though she were trying to amass an army of convicts. "Is she helping prisoners to escape? Is that what she's doing, Robert?" His fingers trembled and a bead of sweat ran along the side of his face.

"She's getting help, but not all of them are from prisons. She contacted known former criminals from our past, and even members of some old broken gang wanting to hit their old leader. She knows Tori and the others are coming, and she wants to fight. When they get here…they're going to be overpowered."

"Shit!" He grabbed Robbie by the shirt collar and slammed the man up against the wall. Robbie cried out in pain as Andre flexed his muscles and leaned in close. "I want a list of names and I want them now. I want to know who the _fuck_ is on Holly's payroll and how many people there are, and I want to know this minute."

Robbie squirmed and brought his hands up to Andre's wrist. He coughed and turned his head away. "Okay, okay man, just relax!"

"Don't fucking tell me to relax. How many are there? How many?"

"Not that many, just enough to overwhelm a small group of police officers. Holly knows that if they find out where she's at, they're going to arrest her and raid the mansion."

"Tori will tear this place apart to find her sister, Robbie. Of course the bitch in the other room knows that."

"Yeah, try to think just how far Holly will go to keep Trina imprisoned." He didn't have to think, he already knew. It was difficult to swallow because the way Holly spoke of Tori had always been that of a motherly love. "Tori's the one person Holly genuinely cares about in this world, but she's crazy and psychotic. She'll end up killing that one person if it means getting away with her own crime."

"I don't believe this."

"I know." Tears poured down Robbie's face, so Andre released the man and let him fall back onto the bed. "You weren't there. You didn't see or hear the things she said-the things she did."

His rage was flaring out of control, and to the point it was taking all his energy just to stop from taking out his anger on Robbie. "Just tell me what I need to know."

"What good will it do man? We're never getting out of here!"

"Enough of that." He raised his voice and threw his fist into Robbie's jaw. Robbie fell back and clutched his face, then looked up with wide eyes. "I will find a way. Those girls will get out of here."

"You can't do anything, Andre. They'll kill your family, they'll kill everyone."

"My family is already dead." Robbie cupped his hand over his mouth and Andre turned partially to him, growling dangerously. "I'm already dead."

"Your family-they're dead?"

"I made Gary drive me out to the cemetery. My grandma, my mother, my sister…all of them are buried there. Of course you remember my father and brothers are long gone. You think I'm afraid of Holly or Gary right now?" He had to protect Trina more now, but what he really wanted were those names and any possible location. "Surely Holly made a list of names."

"Y-Yeah, she was going to contact them when the time is right."

"How?"

"Most have phones, she was going to send a mass text. The ones that don't have phones are staying with someone that does." Robbie sat up, still rubbing his jaw. "She put the list in her computer desk. It's in the computer room."

"Okay. Good." Of course Robbie wasn't expected to know every name, so this list was crucial to find. "If anything, I can cut this list in half."

"What? What are you going to do?"

"I'm thinking, nitwit." He paced the floor hurriedly and scratched his chin. If Holly wanted a war, he could ensure that. He had to steal that list and make a copy of it, then he needed to find a way to alert the police-to alert Tori. Yet if Holly figured it out, which she most likely would if he wasn't careful, it could put Trina or Cat at risk.

Perhaps he could do something else with that list. Holly likely had the hideouts down, he could take matters into his own hands if need be. It was a risky move, but something had to give.

"I'll keep them from this place. If I have to kill them, I will."

"Murder is beneath you."

He stopped pacing and rolled his eyes. "Nothing is beneath me, Robbie." Not when it could be the very thing he had to do to protect those girls. "It's not something I want to do, but if it keeps Trina and Cat from harm, then I'll do whatever it takes to ensure their safety."

"Why not just kill the people holding us all captive? You know, take it from the source."

"Because. I want them to face justice. The world needs to know what those motherfuckers have done." Andre turned his eyes to the doorway and his vehement growls increased. "They need to be ridiculed, they need to be tortured. They need to feel what that woman in the basement has felt for nine years. Killing them would be easy…too easy."

"And what do you propose we do in the meantime?"

"So far Holly's done nothing to Trina." Trina was fiery, most times Holly struck her was because the girl would mouth off at her. For now, Andre convinced Trina to at least remain reserved. "I'll watch that bitch, make sure she doesn't get pissed and take it out on Trina. If and when she does…I'll be there."

"But-"

"Like I said. My family's dead. Holly has _nothing_ on me. I'm useful to them too because I'm the muscle."

"How useful, Andre? Now that they've got like fifty people or whatever, they can replace-" He spun around and grabbed Andre by the throat, flaring his nostrils and glaring into the man's eyes. His voice lashed out as a fire rose up inside.

"Fifty?"

Robbie threw his hands up to Andre's wrist, gagging as his grip tightened. "T-That may be a bit much. I think the number is less than that, closer to twenty or thirty."

"You were exaggerating then?"

"Can't breathe."

"Here's what you're going to do for me, Robbie." His face darkened and his lips slid into a cold smirk. Robbie started to whimper and squirm. "You're going to break into that computer room tonight after everyone's gone to bed, you're going to find that list, and you're going to make a copy of it." He watched the tears in Robbie's eyes and loosened his grip momentarily. "Then you're returning the list and bringing me the copy of that list."

"O-Okay."

"Bring two copies! I'm using one for my own personal reference while the other I'll think of a way to get to the police." He cracked his neck and released Robbie onto the bed. "Now don't utter a word of this to anyone, got it? You do, I'll break your neck."

"No you wouldn't." Robbie rubbed his throat and Andre raised an eyebrow. "I know you wouldn't, come on man. You're just frustrated and angry, but you wouldn't sink to that level."

"Wouldn't I, Robbie? It's been nine years, and I want out of this hellhole as much as anyone else. What do you think I would do to achieve my goals?"

"I don't care what you say, I know you. I'm the one going crazy in this mess, not you. I won't squeal, though. I know why you're making me do this, and fine, but you know if I'm caught that you'll have to do it yourself."

"Obviously." He turned and stormed off. Robbie was right, he wouldn't go so far, not unless he was angry enough and the man did something to warrant it. He paused and turned to look over his shoulder. "By the way, get the hell out of my room."

* * *

So Holly's been hiring a bunch of former and escaped criminals to help should the police find her. That probably wouldn't end too well.


	21. Serial Killer on the Loose

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 21 (Serial Killer on the Loose)

"We got another one on Kent Boulevard." Tori's head fell onto her forearms and she let out a long groan while Jade rubbed her shoulder. "Come on Tori, we do still have to tend to other homicides."

"Even with that photograph Jesse got, it feels like we haven't gotten any closer to finding out where Holly is keeping Trina." She brought her head up and sighed. "Now with the recent escaped prisoners and the murders that have been happening, I can't help but to feel everything is connected. Am I being paranoid?"

Jade sat at the table and folded her forearms on the surface. "No. I have the same thought. We need to find out if that's the case." Tori slid into an upright position and ran her hand through her hair. "By the way, I was wondering. Is there something going on with you and Detective Ricardo?" She froze and looked to her friend's suspicious gaze. "You and Rick are always around each other it seems."

"It's called working. We do a lot of cases together just like you and I."

"I know, I just-be careful. He seems like a good guy."

Tori smiled at the girl then grabbed her purse. "Come on Jade, let's get going. I don't know why, but it wouldn't surprise me if these murders are connected to Holly somehow." Since the recent murders were not anyone in particular that Andre, Robbie or Cat knew in their lifetime, it was hard to say why Holly or Gary would kill these people. There wasn't anything to gain. "Looks like a serial killer though, so far the homicides are connected."

They arrived at the crime scene and moved past the investigators already there. Rick had already arrived, so he could inform them. "Third one this week." Rick led them to the body. "Dart in the neck and stabbed in the chest." He held up a plastic bag with a dart inside.

Tori crouched beside the body of a musclebound man with a bald head. He looked to be in his late forties and had prison tattoos all along his body. The victim's cloudy eyes were open and gazing up at the ceiling. "Looks like one of the convicts that escaped a couple weeks ago."

"Ramón Gutierrez. He was serving a life sentence for aggravated assault, and murder in the first degree." Whoever was killing these men were targeting former prisoners. Could it be whoever aided in their escape was the one that was now killing them? "If you ask me, I believe the assailant is stalking the victims, shooting them with the tranquilizer first and then shooting them point blank in the chest. A quick kill requiring minimal struggle."

She rubbed her chin and pulled the victim's shirt up carefully. There was a blackened circle around the hole, which was evidence that he'd been shot up close. "So far the kills have all been the escaped convicts." She rose up and looked Rick and Jade in the eyes. "My guess is the other escaped prisoners are being targeted, and whoever the killer is may have aided in their escape."

"Makes sense to me," Jade remarked, "How else would the killer know where to find them when the police don't know?" There was no way to protect the remaining escapees unless they got word out. There was already enough of a panic with news of all the escapes making the airways for the last two weeks. "Three victims, all shot with a tranquilizer and then shot point blank in the chest. You think we've got a serial killer on the loose, Tori?"

"I think so. Let the chief know, we may have to alert the remaining escapees through the news media."

"They're not going to just turn themselves in."

"How else do you propose we can avoid another murder?" Criminals or not, these people were being hunted like prey. Her job wasn't to let criminals die, it was to protect innocent lives, and these people were innocent in whatever was leading to their deaths. "We've got a job to do right now, so I propose we do it."

She looked around the room, trying to see if there might be anything out of order. The victim was found on his back, much like the others. Tori looked up to the ceiling and smirked at the blood spatter. "He was shot while on the ground. Look at how the spatter is, as though it splashed onto the ceiling."

"Most likely he was shot with his back to the ground." Jade crouched and studied the blood pool beneath the man. "No evidence of a struggle, no forced entry. He was struck by the tranquilizer first I presume, then unconscious when shot. Just like the others."

"It was clearly an execution. One shot execution." Tori motioned to the open door. "We'll have to check the door for fingerprints. Windows too. Any open area that the killer could have fired a tranquilizer from." Her eyes darted to the plastic bag and she snapped her fingers. "Speaking of which, check for saliva on that dart. We don't know if it's a blow dart or if it was shot from a gun. If it's a blow dart, then there will be saliva. Run that saliva through the DNA processor and see what comes up."

The killer had to be taunting them this time, because it was the first time a dart had been left behind. The other two victims had a red dot on their necks that was near identical with what Jesse had when Andre attacked him.

Thinking that Andre could have something to do with these murders was a bit hard to stomach, but after hearing Jesse's story, she would put nothing past the man. However, the prison escapes happened on the same day that Andre let Trina be with Jesse, and the same time Andre took her back. This would give him an alibi as well as keeping him from knowing who or where the escaped convicts were.

Back at the crime lab, Tori ordered an age progression on the headshot images of Andre, Cat, and Robbie. She also had a police sketch of Andre based off Jesse's description of the man. Since she understood that Holly could very likely be controlling the trio and would cause them harm if she wasn't careful, she decided to put them out as missing persons as well.

"Hard to believe they weren't reported missing nine years ago." Jade studied the age progressed photos and shook her head. "Andre's grandma would have been the first, wouldn't she?"

"Yes. They all would have reported them missing unless someone told them not to. What Cat said on the phone was their families were threatened if they acted out, so what if their families were threatened not to report them missing?"

"Then we need to ask their closest relatives."

"The problem with Andre is that all of his relatives are dead." Tori walked away from the machine and stared at the blow dart. No saliva evidence came back, but neither did markings that would imply it was shot out of a gun. The dart itself hadn't been used either, so the killer took the used dart and left a different one. Likely toying with investigators. "Which also bothers me about whether or not he's there willingly. His family's dead, Holly and Gary don't have anything to keep him in line."

"What if they don't know?" Jade leaned against a countertop and Tori furrowed her brow at the woman. "We know his grandmother had a heart attack. His mom shot herself upon release from the mental hospital, and Olivia was murdered."

"Who killed her and how did she die?"

Jade moved over to a computer and brought up Olivia's case file. The image of the deceased showed her to be covered with bruises, and the left side of her head was caved in. "Abusive boyfriend. There were multiple reports of domestic violence and the man had been arrested multiple times. Unfortunately her case was like every other abuse victim out there…"

"She went back to him?"

"Yes." Her heart sank and she moved her hands down to her hips as Jade spun around in the swivel chair. "She was always there waiting for him every time he was released. She said she loved the man and she was afraid she wouldn't find anyone else to love her." Tori felt sympathy and pity, but the case certainly wasn't unlike all the other domestic violence crimes out there.

"Jesus…it's sad seeing the abused victims. There's usually help out there but they won't get it, or when they do, it's too late."

"It was too late in Olivia's case." Jade turned back and closed down the file. "She was trying to get help and I believe the man found out. A fight escalated because she was going to leave him, she got to the door and he pushed her. She fell back, struck her head on the porch steps outside…"

"He never confessed?"

"No, but he's serving-or was serving-a thirty year sentence. He always maintained his innocence."

"Of course," Tori scoffed and threw her hand up. "They always do. 'I loved them and would never hurt them', then the person moves on until someone else is a victim."

"A sad cycle of endless violence, and sometimes it only ends with someone's life."

Tori craned her neck back and closed her eyes. "What do you mean he _was_ serving a thirty year sentence?"

"Leonard Andrews was one of the prisoners that escaped prison. Which also means he's probably going to be targeted." She pulled the corner of her lips back into her cheek and turned her eyes to the age progressed picture of Andre.

"You know, that gives me an idea. What if the killer is Andre? If he's targeting these prisoners…Say we used Leonard to bait him." She started snapping her fingers and paced to the right. "If we can catch Andre, we could force him to tell us where they're holding Trina."

"But if we're wrong, and Andre isn't the one doing this. Exposing Olivia's death and killer on the press could be giving Holly proof that Andre's family is dead. What if you're wrong, Tori?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what if Andre's not the bad guy." She dropped her hands and watched Jade move to the photos. "We know from witness statements that it looked like Robbie was forced to kidnap Trina. Cat spoke with a great deal of fear over the phone, so she too is under duress. What if you're wrong about Andre being a willing captive? The police never released details of Olivia's murder to the press, there's no way Holly or Gary know she's dead. They may or may not know that his grandmother and mother are dead, and that leaves only Olivia. If they learn she's dead, then they have nothing left to hold over Andre's head."

"Then they have no reason to keep him alive. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah…so what if he's the good guy, and releasing details of Olivia's murder would cause his own murder? Especially if he's not the one killing these escaped convicts. Baiting would be worthless, Tori."

She scratched her chin and started to mutter. The woman was right, there was no denying it. "Then we'll just have to investigate further. Let's find out who this serial killer is, hopefully we can put a stop to this string of murders before it gets out of hand."

"Right. We need to find out where these criminals are hiding. Who even knows if these murders are connected to Holly at all? Just because Megan Shapiro's death was-"

"Speaking of family members. We need to contact Robbie's parents as well as Cat's family. We have got to put them under guard." She didn't want to startle any of the relatives, but there was obvious reason to believe their lives were in danger as long as Holly was free. "Just feels like everything's crashing down right now. I'd rather not frighten the Shapiro's, they already lost one child…"

"And grandchild."

"Oh yeah. Here comes the hardest part of the job." Jade nodded and Tori walked towards the door. "Notifying family of death, involvement in crimes, or threats to their lives. Always a pleasure!"

Jade drew out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Always."

* * *

So someone's bumping off criminals, and now the investigators have to go notify other families about what's up. Hmm what are your thoughts this chapter?


	22. Weight of the World

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I've got up to chapter 35 written, hence the daily updates even with the new semester. I will say that my writing is slowing down XD. Also, it is close to chapter 30 the raid on the mansion takes place, brace yourselves and enjoy this chapter. (The raid is more than one chapter)

* * *

Chapter 22 (Weight of the World)

"Who do you suppose will be the more emotional of the families?" They were first driving out to see Tom and Rebecca Shapiro. Tori was driving and watching the road through the shades that concealed her intense stare. "The Shapiro family or the Valentine family?"

Jade's elbow hung from the window and her hair was being blown back by the wind. "I don't know. It depends on what we have to tell them, I think." With Cat, they were positive she was to be considered kidnapped. Robbie was a little bit different, his family was going to have to hear that he was a suspect in a kidnapping case. Not to mention that by routine and protocol, Tori was going to have to inform the family to contact them if they saw him.

"The Shapiro's already suspect something is wrong with their son because we had to impound his old jeep. That is, unless they think it has to do with their daughter's murder." Based on what Cat told them over the phone, Robbie wasn't the one that pulled the trigger on Megan. Victoria also opened up enough to confirm Cat was not the killer and that it was Cat who watched over her and kept her from having to witness the crime.

Megan Shapiro was murdered by Andre Harris. This also meant they had to explain to Tom and Rebecca that they may have identified the killer, but that he too is involved in the same abduction as their son, and that Megan's death might have been a direct result of something Robbie either did or did not do.

"Tom and Becky are going to be the hard ones." Tori frowned and slowed the car down at a stop sign. She looked to Jade and shrugged. "Unfortunately it's our job to notify, not sugarcoat and make the lives of the survivors any easier."

"Yeah, and to tell them their lives might be in danger…" Jade pushed her fingers into her hair and brought her head to rest no them. "This just keeps getting better and better for them, I know."

"It's unfortunate." She pressed down the gas and drove across the intersection. Every time she had to notify family, she felt like an inmate walking to the executioner. There were times where she felt she was the executioner herself. "I feel more for the family than I do their son, though. I'm going to tell you that."

Jade's eyes dropped and clouded with emotion. "I know. I understand." The woman looked away and pressed her lips together. "They were my friends too. Even if I wasn't as close as you were." Tori slanted her eyes and turned left onto a small street. "Seeing how I was in high school I always thought it would be me that was capable of something like that. Kidnapping Trina, doing all the bad shit, and even I wouldn't have done it back then. Not once did I ever believe Robbie or Andre could have done this."

She tilted her head and glanced at the side mirror. Frown lines formed around her lips as stress marks stretched like cracks from them. Jade dropped her hand and turned a worried gaze onto her.

"I'm really sorry, Tori. I know I don't say it enough. You're taking it hard, Beck's taking it hard, we all are. Andre and Robbie, they were Beck's greatest friends. I'd been with him two years before meeting you, and he was friends with those two long before I even met him. Bear in mind you can talk to us, we get it, we know what you're going through."

"This is something I can handle." She parked alongside the curb and peered out at the Shapiro home. There was a curtain in one of the front windows that shifted upon their arrival. "They know we're here." She took a deep breath and turned to Jade. "I'm fine, Jade. Really.

"Beck and I aren't fine, and Trina's your sister. Holly was your mother-there's no way in hell you're 'fine'."

"I'm fine." She threw open the door and got out of the car. "You know, Holly didn't go after you or Beck. You two are too strong to manipulate. Cat and Robbie I understand, they're easy to threaten and manipulate, but Andre? How in the hell could she get him to do her dirty work? The only thing I can think of is that he went willingly, and I want to know why."

"I still don't think it was willing. Beck's been wondering the same thing, because he's certain Andre wouldn't be willing to do all of this." Jade stopped her and put a hand to her shoulder. Tori removed her glasses and made eye contact with the girl. Jade's eyebrows meshed together and drifted up in the middle. "Tori, we're here for you. You know you can trust us. We will get to the bottom of this, we will figure it out I promise."

"Trust?" She held her breath and turned away to the house, letting Jade's hand fall off her shoulder. "Let's just get this notification business done." She wasn't sure there was anyone left in the world to trust, save for a small handful of people. "You can try and make me optimistic and sympathetic to Robbie, Andre, and even Cat…but all I can do, all I have been able to do for the last several weeks is think about what they've been doing to my sister. All I can do is think that three people I trusted completely, even someone I trusted with my _heart_ at one point has been torturing my sister for nine years. I'm not sympathetic, Jade…Do you know what I am?"

"What?"

She pointed to the Shapiro home and her voice started to rise. "I'm the Shapiro family. I'm the Valentine family. I'm the survivor of a victim." Her heart began to pound as the tears she fought for so long finally broke from her eyes. "I feel the guilt of letting those people in my house, I feel the shame of trusting them. I'm angry, I'm bitter and resentful, and as much I want revenge and justice, I still have to be a cop!"

"It isn't your fault."

"Isn't it, Jade?"

"It's not. It's your mother. She's responsible. Her jealousy, her anger and fears."

"Until I find proof that all three were forced and under duress, I still have to assume they were willing. That goes beyond my own feelings, Jade. Any court of law is going to see them there for nine years and say 'prove they were under duress'."

There had to be proof beyond a shadow of a doubt, and any suspect in a crime could say they were forced. That was why a verbal claim often meant nothing in court without evidence to back it up.

Without that crucial evidence, all three would very likely spend the rest of their days in prison. Right now, Cat was the only one where it seemed plausible to suggest she'd been kidnapped. There was no evidence of direct involvement in any kidnappings or murders on her part, where they had that involvement on both Robbie and Andre.

"Then I guess when we get Trina out, her testimony is going to be the strongest thing that courtroom will have."

"Unless we find evidence supporting your theory. Right or wrong." She rolled her eyes and started for the front door. Jade blew out and struck the doorbell. "You lead."

"Why?"

"You're better at being objective in this case."

"Fine."

That evening, Tori was with Rick. She was in the bed with her back against his chest. "That family fell apart," she muttered while remembering the reactions of the Shapiro family. Jade hardly got a word in edgewise before Rebecca was on her knees, crying about her baby. Tom had to console his wife, and of course the surviving grandparents that were living with them looked petrified. "We had to tell them that Robbie was a suspect, that he might be involved in a few crimes and that his involvement likely put their lives in danger."

"It's difficult, I know." He pulled her bangs from her face and she turned her head with his fingers. "How are you holding up, though?" Her lips curled up and her eyes closed.

"Not easily, to be honest. I wanted to join Rebecca on the floor. I think I'm losing it."

"No, you're not. You're just bottling your emotions inside." He kissed her forehead and hugged her tight. "You're trying your best to find your sister, but in a case like this you're expected to be emotional. You should be able to discuss it."

"I know you're right. I lost it today, got upset with Jade, and I know she means well. She and Beck _are_ going through the same type of grief and emotions, it's just hard for me to see it through their point of view."

"In their defense, they're struggling with the fact that friends they knew well committed such a crime. In your defense, your sister was taken from you by people who never should have betrayed either of your trusts." His arm hung loosely over her waist and he gently kissed the back of her neck. "Did you manage to notify the Valentine family?"

"No." She dropped her head to the pillow. "They were not at their home, so we will have to try them another time." Cat's family moved back to Los Angeles several years ago. She had two brothers, one older that was in the armed forces, and the younger brother with the mental problems. "Cat's parents have always paid more attention to her younger brother, and that's fine, but should we get her out alive…she will need her family more than ever. That's what I feel."

"You are confident that you can claim her as kidnapped as well?"

"We've found no evidence to suggest otherwise. That said, we've found no evidence to suggest she was just simply kidnapped."

"Have you visited their last known whereabouts? Perhaps there is evidence to be found."

"Maybe." She had her doubts about that. Just like Trina, there wasn't a whole lot of physical evidence besides what was in the jeep. With nine years a lot of physical evidence may have been destroyed. "All we really can do is get witness accounts to try and piece together their final moments. The rest is circumstantial."

"You can still build a case off circumstantial evidence, dear."

"I know, but it's much harder to do and harder to prove."

"How is your niece holding up?"

Tori thought of Victoria and laughed, remembering a joke Jesse was sharing. "She's having a lot of fun since Jesse started coming over more. I think it's good she's able to smile and laugh as well as talk to people more."

It was a shame that Sinjin wasn't there, but she didn't want him involved or knowing anything right now. She'd leave it up to Trina to decide, but she was more nervous of Haley rejecting Victoria.

She didn't know Haley well enough to judge her completely, but she didn't like the thought of Victoria being around that woman. "Jesse might be a better father figure for her. I don't know if he'd be better than her birth father or not, but I'm scared of that woman he's got with him. I know she doesn't like kids."

"A person may not like kids and still think the child should have time with their birth parent-or are you more worried she would do what Holly did?"

"Partially." She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her chin between the kneecaps. "I don't know if she can be trusted or not." As bad as Haley was, she never gave any implication of true malice the way Holly did. "She might not be like that-but I don't know. This whole case, everything, it's got me all confused. I thought I had good powers of observation, but…now I just don't know. I'm too stressed out."

A dry chuckle fell from her and she quickly looked back to Rick. "Maybe I should take a sabbatical. I can't though, my sister needs me, and I don't want to make her wait any longer."

"A break could be good, though. Also, you're not the only investigator on the case. I believe even Deputy Vega is stepping out of retirement just to help solve this?" She glanced to the side, then turned over to face him. "I'm working closely with you, Jade knows everything that's going on, and the two narcotics officers are also on the case."

His hand caressed her cheek, creating a spark at the touch. "You do not need to concern yourself solely with the weight of the world." She moved her eyes into his and leaned forward. A strand of hair fell beside her face and he gently took it between two fingers to slide it back in place. "You have so many willing to back you up, willing to stand beside you. Everyone would understand if you wanted to take a day to relax, someone else can take over the case. The case, the world, it will not stop just because you stop to catch your breath."

"I don't know how to do that. I-I guess you're right though, all this stress is bad for my health." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"It got bad enough that you went out and drank until you were falling over." Tori chuckled nervously and opened her eyes halfway. Jade had all the evidence, all the statements, and everything she needed to head the investigation. Plus, the woman's head was clear right now when hers wasn't.

"Maybe I can let Jade take over for a day or two." Her arms slid around his neck and she melted into his body, kissing his lips softly. She felt his protective embrace tighten around her and relaxed her body as a result. She pulled her head back and gently caressed his face. "Yeah. I need to relax. I trust Jade-and she may get further than I am because she's not as…emotionally charged as I feel." She tilted her head to the right and shifted her eyes to his lips. "You'll still be here? Maybe I can stay?"

"I'll be wherever you need me, my love."

Her heart skipped and her smile grew. "Good to hear." There was nowhere she'd rather be right now than in his arms. After a few days, she hoped that she could return to the case with a fresh and clearer mind.

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts?


	23. An Investigator's Promise

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: As Tori gets some time up, Jade takes role as the lead investigator on the case for a while. That said, here isa chapter in her perspective

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Chapter 23 (Investigator's Promise)

Jade entered her kitchen and breathed in the scent of fried eggs and sausage. Beck was at the stove, flipping over an omelet, while Kyle and Amanda eating their breakfast. "Morning honey," Beck said with a smile. Kyle and Amanda waved at her and she walked towards her husband. She was always proud to have a man who knew how to cook.

"What's for dinner tonight?" She put her chin on his left shoulder and peered down at the omelet.

"I just got started on breakfast and you're already asking for supper?" He laughed openly and moved the omelet to the plate. "I was thinking rotisserie chicken. I haven't decided though, I could go for steak."

"I'm in the mood for steak."

"Steak it is." He handed her the plate and she took it graciously, then gave him a quick peck on the lips. This kiss earned a disgusted groan from the children.

"So you're heading over to the Valentine's today?" Beck took a bite of his food and Jade stared down at the omelet. "You're not hungry?"

"It isn't that." She felt a painful sensation in her chest, so she looked up from the food and tried to find some calmness in Beck's eyes. "It's this case. It's taking a lot out of Tori, and myself. She's taken a few days off to de-stress. So I'm on my own for the day."

"Want me to come along? I know I'm just a security guard at the bank, but it is my day off and well…you know this case is important to me as well." She understood his concern, but she wasn't sure she could allow him to go along. Besides, anything that could stress her out could stress him out, and she needed to be able to come home to him relaxed so that she could relax.

"No, but I will tell you how it goes." His hand moved over his and she cast a smile at him. The prior night they didn't sleep, they spent most of the night talking about Andre and the others, and how they could be involved in the kidnapping. "I still hope my theory's right, and that the others were just forced to be involved. At least that way, we can try and find something-anything that would shed light on whether or not they were truly under duress."

"It's hard seeing Tori as angry as she's been, but I get it."

"Usually I'm the angry one." She let out a weak laugh and pushed the fork into the omelet. When he moved his arm around her shoulders, her heartbeat sped up and she leaned into him with a gentle sigh. "Feels like it's going to be a long day."

When she arrived at the home of Walter and Lucy Valentine, she was startled by the sheer size of their house. The couple appeared in their mid-sixties, and Walter's father was the only surviving grandparent.

Her first observation was all of Cat's siblings, she always thought the girl had two. One older, and one younger. The older brother was the one she looked up to, Trenton. The younger one, William, was the one with the mental problems. They represented the start and end of the age range; William was the youngest at nineteen years old, and Trenton was thirty-four.

Cat had one more older brother that was thirty-one, and one younger sister who was twenty-three. The sister, Abigail, was the first person Jade met. "I asked everyone to be here," Abigail said as she guided the nervous detective to the recliner beside the couch. "You said you had news of Catherine, so I had everyone gather."

Jade held her breath and looked to the doorway leading to the back patio where the rest of the family seemed to be waiting. "Why are they all out there?"

"They're waiting on me." Abigail swept her auburn curls behind her shoulders and sat upright. "I always looked up to Cat, Cat looked up to Trent. We all kind of went our separate ways when mom and dad moved out of state with William. They loved him best. Trent and I kind of got everyone back in LA."

"It's good that you two are looking out for each other and for family." Cat was going to need that from them. Jade felt her muscles tense as she struggled to think of how to deliver this news to the family, because it wasn't the good news that she could see Abigail was hoping for. "If you could gather your relatives in the front room, I would appreciate it."

"Yes ma'am." She watched with a new heaviness inside as the girl made her way to the patio door. Within minutes, the family was shuffling in. Trent was first, he was tall and built like a military man, with his hair cut into a buzz. He had a strong jaw and walked with closed hands at his waist.

The next was Jacob. He was pale and looked to be an introvert. His brown shaggy hair curled around his ears and stopped down at his jawline. He was neither as tall as his brother nor as short as Abigail.

The grandfather walked in with a humpback and a walking cane at his right leg. Jade was curious if he was in as bad or worse shape as David from the dull look in his eyes and the tremble in his step.

_"God this is not going to be easy. I was hoping for just one relative, not the entire family."_ She smiled openly and waved her fingers at the family. _"Damn it Tori, you picked a fine time to take a break."_ Her chest throbbed with a shockwave of pain, and her insides seemed to be screaming at her.

The sight that broke her was when Walter and Lucy entered with a boy sitting in a wheelchair. William's arms and legs were thin, his head was bent slightly to the right. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched them bring the boy to the side of the couch.

Abigail returned to the seat she'd been in prior and looked at William with a frown. "William, this is Detective Oliver, she has news about Cat." William started to smile and slowly raised his hand, waving at the woman.

Jade grabbed her chest and took a deep breath. It looked as though Trent and Abigail were the in the best physical shape, each of the other relatives looked to have some physical or mental ailment. This meant the ones she needed to talk to most would be Trent and Abigail, because if anyone was going to help their sister get back on her feet, it would be them.

"Have you found her?" Lucy's voice shook with tears. Her bony fingers curled around Walter's hand. "Tell me you've found my little girl. Please tell me she's alive."

Walter's cheeks sagged further and the stress lines on his forehead deepened as his deep voice echoed in the room. "We never wanted to leave her here when we moved with William and Abigail. Trent had gone overseas and we had a job offer, she didn't want to leave…she wanted to stay here, with her friends…so we let her stay with Lucy's mother. We should have insisted she come with us, we should have made her come with us!"

"I need you to understand first, there is no way that you could have known what would happen." Jade clasped her hands together between her knees and leaned forward, looking through the eyes of each family member. Each of them had guilt written on their faces, and each looked as though they'd thought of many ways over the years to keep Cat from having been lost. "It was in your best intentions to leave her in LA with her grandmother, and she was happy."

Then she would have to tell them it was those very friends she suspected of having taken Cat away from them. Her stomach clenched and she closed her eyes, struggling to avoid making eye contact with their painful gazes.

"What we do know is that Cat is very much alive." Lucy's hand flew to her chest and she started to sob.

Trent's body tensed and his eyes narrowed at her. "Just get it out," he demanded, "You don't know where my sister is, do you?" Jade flinched and shook her head. She didn't blame him for his harshness, and of course, she'd met with far worse whenever she had to notify family members.

"We are doing everything we can to find her. We believe she may have been taken against her will to aid in a kidnapping plot." Abigail cried out and William's eyes widened. Jacob remained quiet, keeping his eyes on the floor. "That said, we also believe your lives could be at risk, and we want to offer any protection that we can."

"Our lives are at risk?" Abigail straightened her back and pursed her lips. "What do you mean _our_ lives?"

"We received a phone call from Cat, we do not know how she acquired this phone but she has not called us since. She informed us that there were people being held there and forced to obey under threat of harm towards their family members."

All of their eyes dilated and silence fell over the room. Jacob lifted his head and finally spoke up, his voice was hoarse and weak, but at the time it sounded to be the most powerful voice in the room.

"That has to be true," he stated. Jade turned to him and watched in horror as he revealed a scar along his throat. "Can I tell you about this in a way that I will be protected?"

"What happened?"

"I was approached by someone about five years ago." He released the turtleneck collar and looked to his grief-stricken relatives. "This was a man, telling me that my sister's actions…" He cleared his throat and gently rubbed the front of his neck. "I was with a friend of mine that worked at the hospital nearby. I gave a description there."back to you, but understand also that she might have to be put on trial for her involvement…we need to be able to prove she was under duress for these last nine years."

"We've never been notified of this?"

"This happened while I was living in Nevada."

"I see." This was something good to have as evidence. "Would you mind coming into the station? We'll have to get a statement." Jacob nodded and closed his eyes.

"That man." His body started to shake and his sweaty fingers gripped his knees firmly. "He said my sister tried to get in the way, she stopped something from happening. Somebody was doing something and she fought them…"

"I'd like to see them come at me," Trent growled and crossed his arms, "Cowards."

"Jade." Abigail stood and walked over to the recliner. She crouched down and Jade looked into her pleading, tearful eyes. "What protection can you offer my family?"

There truly wasn't much law enforcement could do. They couldn't station police officers around the house, but they could certainly order some officers to drive by the house every now and then.

"I'd like your family to all stay in one place together. We'll map a route for an officer to drive around the home, then I'll give you my number as well as the numbers of a few of my teammates. You can call anytime you're in danger. We'll do our best to get your sister. We will bring her

"I understand, and we'll-we'll do everything we can to be there for her." Abigail wiped her wet face with her hands and turned fiercely towards her parents. "You too mom and dad. Cat needs us now."

She put her hand on Abigail's and looked into the girl's eyes with a serious note. "I promise you, all of you, I will make sure Cat comes back alive. We're not going to let anything happen to you." It wasn't a promise that a law officer could or should make to a grieving family, especially since that family would hold onto it and expect it even when it couldn't be made.

The only reason she said it now was because she felt in her heart that they could get the girl out of there. That, and this family needed that hope to hold on to. They were fragmented enough as it was.

* * *

Cat's got a large family. Let's hope Jade can keep to that promise. Jacob's lucky to have survived that attack some time ago.


	24. To Find the Truth

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 24 (To Find the Truth)

Andre pressed himself against the wall of a house and held his breath, trying to keep from panting. The person inside spotted him and he needed to regain his low profile. He couldn't keep up what he was doing without feeling a deep sense of guilt, no matter how much he told himself it was for the good of the innocents in holly's custody.

In one month, he'd only gone through six of the names on Holly's list of thirty criminals. Not every one of them was easy to find, and those that weren't escaped convicts but former criminals were much more secluded. There were familiar names on the list, names that disturbed him to see. Such as Nora, a woman who was released from prison six years ago for having abducted Cat in a revenge plot against her roommate.

"Come on kid." The person's voice bellowed in the air, causing him to flinch. He turned his head and wiped away a bead of sweat on his temple. "I know you're out here, and I don't know how you found me."

This was one of the tougher convicts on the list, a serial killer himself and a man that Andre hoped wouldn't spot him.

His hand closed around the blow pipe and his chest expanded forward. _"For Cat, for Trina. I have got to do this. I can't let Holly overwhelm the police."_ Of the thirty, there were only nine total escaped criminals. They were his first targets because of their anger and sheer power. However, once done, he wanted to go after Nora Dershlitt and take her out as well, just to ensure she didn't come to work for Holly, and potentially harm Cat.

"Where are you!" A crash struck his ear and he bolted in the opposite direction. It wasn't cowardice so much as he wanted to avoid a fight and to avoid a struggle. At the same time, he was trying to find a way to lead the cops straight to Holly's mansion. "You can't hide forever."

"I'm not hiding," he muttered, "I'm waiting for the opportunity to strike." He raised the pipe towards his lips and narrowed his eyes while listening for the heavy footsteps.

Andre peered around the corner and smirked when he saw the musclebound man with his back turned. "Forgive me, but I have to do this." He stepped around the corner, took a deep breath and blew into the pipe as hard as he could.

The man swat his neck as though swatting a fly and slowly turned around. His pupils were dilated and his lips were parted slightly. "Y-You chump."'

"Serial killer Todd Xerxes…" He removed Gary's handgun from the holster at his hip and started to approach the man, watching as Todd's eyes slid upwards. "Copy-cat of the Boston Strangler. Assaulting your victims sexually before strangling them to death in the process." Todd backed against a wall, his body trembled and his knees looked to buckle.

Sadly some people took longer to be knocked out by the tranquilizer, but in this instance, Andre didn't care.

A sneer stretched across his face as he pressed the nozzle of the pistol against the man's chest. "For me, you are the easiest to kill. Emotionally speaking. The other escapees probably could have gotten away with their lives, but you don't deserve to walk the streets."

The gunshot echoed in the air and Andre flinched as blood splattered onto him. He wiped the blood from his face and reached into his pocket as the man's body slumped to the ground. "Okay Todd, you're going to be my messenger. I hope you don't mind…"

He removed a copy of the list and carefully placed it beneath the man's belt. If anything, this list would give the investigators a sense of what Holly was up to, and perhaps aid in their getting the people on this list off the streets. He wasn't sure why he didn't do this on the first person, but for the most part he didn't feel that the police would have gotten all the people before it was too late. This way, he was eliminating them for the investigators.

It might not be the right way to go about it, but in his mind, it was the best way. He saw no other way to protect Trina and Cat, and no other way to keep the investigators from being overwhelmed.

"They're coming for you, Holly, and they're going to end you."

"Yet another one." Jade clicked her tongue and watched as Rick crouched beside the victim's body. "This one's different though. The others were killed inside and on their backs, but this man-"

"Looks like he saw the killer," Rick replied. Jade slid her hands down to her hips and sighed as the man grabbed a piece of paper stuffed in the victim's belt. "Take a look at this. El asesino le abandono." She ignored the Spanish and grabbed the note.

What she saw stole her breath, it was a list of names with several crossed off. As she read, she deduced it to be a payroll of some kind. "There are thirty names on here, Ricky. All of them either the escaped convicts or former criminals." Rick looked up and raised an eyebrow. She recognized many of these names from cases that she went over in the last nine years on the police force. "Small time petty thefts all the way to this guy here-the only serial killer in the escaped criminals."

"What's the point?" He rose up and walked over and furrowed his brow at the list. "Tori will not like seeing this when she gets back on the job."

"Definitely not." She tucked her thumb inwards and pointed it to Holly's name at the bottom of the list. There was a statement issued declaring the names on the list were meant to serve as a force to call upon should the police find and attack the mansion. "Why would the killer leave this list behind? Seems intentional, but now we have a list of his targets."

"You suppose there is a reason he is eliminating these people?" She had that in mind now that she saw this list. "Tori seems insistent that Andre is behind these murders. If that is so, and he has left this list, then Jade had to assume he wanted investigators to know something was up.

"I think we'll need to find the people on this list, unless that'll be looking at the wrong thing." She wanted to keep pursuing Holly as Tori wanted, but she had to focus on other crimes as well. Fortunately, this list seemed to confirm that the murders were connected to Holly, which meant if she followed the trail this list provided, she'd find Holly. "Where we find these criminals, we find Holly and where we find Holly…"

"We find Trina. How close are the others on their investigations?"

"Jesse and Sam have been hanging around the address listed on that photograph, they've been trying to see if the car in the picture will drive up. It's assumed Gary works there, but none of the employees know where Gary lives."

"Then how do they expect to track him?"

"I believe by tailing him when he drives to work and leaves to go home."

Jade shook her head and glanced at Nora's name on the list. It could be good to try and use Sam's connection to that woman to find a way to the Holly, but as Nora had been out for a few years and hadn't gone after Sam, it wasn't likely she'd try attacking the blonde straight off.

"Any one of these criminals knows where Holly is. I suspect if we can use this to find these people, we can not only keep this serial killer from taking their lives-but we can also find out where Holly is staying."

"Si." Jade folded the list and pushed it into a plastic bag. They were going to analyze this document some more and see if they could get any further information besides just a list of names. "Do you feel that this man, Andre, is truly innocent?"

"I don't know. I'm just remembering him as I once knew him, and I'm trying to figure out why he would be killing these people. It seems like it would have to be a desperate move, like he's trying to reach out and just doesn't know how…"

"He may not be the same person you once knew him as, Officer West."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Rick was right, but that didn't mean she was going to stop holding out hope that her old friend could be trying to do good. "I won't argue it, but I'm not going to start off believing the worst in the guy. As a cop, it's our duty to find the truth. The truth and nothing more."

"Yes, do not let your passions get in the way, and try to remain impartial at best. Tori is counting on all of us right now." She smiled as the man walked towards the car. She followed after, studying him closely.

"One more question." She caught up with him and leaned back against the car. "Is there something going on with you and Tori? She won't tell me." Rick folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. Jade knew this man wasn't going to lie to her, at least she'd never known him to be dishonest. "If there is, there's no problem. I just want to make sure she's not going to get hurt or anything, she hasn't had the best relationships in her life."

"Sounds like she's due for a positive one."

"Yeah." Rick was a good man, so if they were in a relationship, he might not do anything to hurt Tori. "I know she doesn't like people butting into her personal and private life, but I mean well. Beck and I, as well as her dad and Sam, we've all kind of looked after her these years."

"She is a strong, beautiful and capable woman."

"Yeah, that's true, she likes to tell us she can deal with stuff on her own." Jade flung her hair over her shoulder with a chuckle and spread her hands out to the side. "But everybody could use advice from somebody with experience."

Rick scratched his chin and the right corner of his mouth lifted. "This is true, she loves advice when she asks for it." He whisked his hand away as though his breath blew it from him. "Tell me, do you speak Spanish?" Her heart stopped and she shook her head from side to side.

"I speak just a little bit, but not enough to really know the language."

"Ah, I see." He closed his eyes and opened the car door. "I will not lie to you Detective." An eager grin swept across her face as Rick made eye contact with her. "Hemos estado en una relación durante dos años, y están muy enamorados." Her jaw dropped and her hands closed to fists. Rick entered the vehicle and motioned for her to enter the other side. "Siempre voy a cuidar de ella, y voy a respetar sus deseos. Ella la dirá cuando quiere."

"You know I have no idea what the hell you're saying, right?"

"Si Senora."

She rolled her eyes and entered the car. It was clear she wouldn't be getting anything out of him, even though she had the sinking suspicion he answered her question with full honesty.

"Goddamn your thick accent and fast speech…let's get back to work."

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haha ah that last part is amusing. Well this chapter was quite the interesting chapter, what are your thoughts?


	25. Last of the Shapiro Line

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 25 (Last of the Shapiro Line)

"I want answers!" Andre listened as Holly screamed at Robbie. The man was drenched in sweat and covered in bruises from head to toe. The man had yet to reveal what Andre did, proving to be more loyal than he first assumed Robbie to be. "The people I hired to protect this place are being killed, and their deaths don't appear to be random."

"I don't know." Robbie threw his hands up and let out a grunt as Holly sliced her nails across his face. Andre poked his head around the corner and cringed. Robbie was on his knees and his right hand was clutching the scratches on his cheek. Blood flowed through his fingers and down his wrist and face, dripping onto the floor.

Holly grabbed his throat and dug her nails into his neck. "You're lying to me, and you know what happens when you lie to me." Robbie's body trembled with fear as the woman's nostrils flared out. "I don't like liars, Robert. You have two parents and one surviving grandparent left alive, unfortunately that grandparent has a terminal illness, so he is useless to me."

"No! Don't hurt my mom and dad!"

"Even after nine years, you still hold any faith you're ever going to see them again." Holly backhanded him, sending him to the ground. "You should have just told me the truth, Robbie. The truth sets you free, you know." He curled into a ball, whimpering as she stormed off.

Andre rushed into the room and crouched down, shaking Robbie's arm. "Hey man, it's all right." He watched Robbie's eyes enlarge and leaned back as the man pulled his blood covered hand from his face.

"W-What have you been doing, Andre?" Andre cringed as the man's eyes shot over to him. "What the _fuck_ have you done!" He looked away, unable to bring himself to answer. Robbie lunged forward and shoved him back. "You're not supposed to be the one going insane here. I'm taking the rap for you, and I don't even know what the hell's going on."

"I am only trying to get those girls out of here alive." He brushed his hands down his shirt and stood up. "That is my priority, and nothing else. I'll do whatever it takes to get them out of here-even if it means decimating the people Holly's been hiring to take out the police when they find us."

Robbie's hands flew to his hair and he spun around, gasping for air. "Jesus Christ, Andre! What do Cat and Trina think about all this?"

"They…don't know." His hands balled into fists and his jaw grew tight. "I don't plan on telling them either, at least not until they're safe. I don't want to endanger their lives with that knowledge."

Half an hour later in Los Angeles, Holly met up with a tall dark haired lady outside of the woman's work. She flashed a smile as the woman stopped and recognized her. "Holly? Is that you? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Good afternoon, Becky." Holly approached the woman and put her hand to her chest. "I've been out of the country for a while and heard about what happened to your son. I'm terribly sorry." Rebecca's brow furrowed and her face grew long. The woman's eyes dropped and she lowered her head.

"I don't want to talk about it. Robbie, and my daughter, they're both…" Rebecca choked up and tears broke from her eyes. Holly frowned at her and reached forward, patting the woman's back.

"Oh Becky." She spoke with a sweet tone and gave the woman a reassuring smile. "It will be okay, I know. My baby's still missing too." Rebecca gasped out and brought her hand up to her forehead.

"The detectives came to my house. They told me-told me my boy might be involved in the kidnapping." Her eyes widened and Holly brought her hand over her mouth, gasping aloud for the woman. "I can't imagine. Robbie…he would never!"

"Come dear, let's talk over coffee?"

"I don't know, I should get home. My husband, Tom, he doesn't want me working right now anyway. The police told me to take time off-but how can I possibly rest at a time like this?"

"I understand completely. When my little girl went missing, I had to stay on at the hospital. Night and day, I couldn't be home…there were far too many memories." She pulled a tissue from her pocket and handed it to the sobbing girl. "Dry your tears sweetheart and lets have a chat. I don't know if I can make anything better, but talking about it does help."

"I should be going, though." Rebecca reached into her purse and Holly watched her fidget for her phone. "I need to call my husband." Thinking on impulse, Holly put her hand out over Rebecca's wrist, stopping the woman.

"No need. I'll drive you home, you're emotional right now and shouldn't be driving."

"You'll take me home?"

"Yes dear." She closed her eyes and stretched out her smile with a pleasant chuckle.

Andre sat at the kitchen table with Robbie and Cat. Cat had a look of distress on her face and was reaching across the table, cupping his hand with hers. "I never thought I'd say this." She took a deep breath and looked to Robbie. "But Robbie's right. Andre, even if they're criminals, killing them is…it's wrong." Robbie was the one who told Cat, much to Andre's dismay.

He pulled his hand away and leaned to the side while covering his mouth with his hand. "But Holly wants to use them to take out the police." He glanced to the bandage on Robbie's face and felt an overwhelming rush of guilt. "I was doing this to protect everyone. I'm sick of not having control, and now I finally have some control."

"I love that you're trying to save us, but this isn't the way to go about it." She curled her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes with a gentle smile. "You're not a killer, Andre. I know you're not."

"I am doing what I think is the only thing I can do." He removed the list of names from his pocket and set it in front of the two. "There were thirty people, it's closer to twenty now. All these people are waiting for the day Holly calls them to say there's an investigator at the door…"

Cat's eyes scanned the page and the distress in her eyes worsened. Her voice trembled with fear at one point. "N-Nora's on this list? How did Holly find her?"

"I wouldn't know, but Nora's been out of prison a few years now. It looks like Holly went for people who had criminal background. Maybe Holly knew what she put you through, and that's how she heard of her. I was…looking for her next."

"What! No!" He flinched as Cat's eyes narrowed. "No more killing, Andre. Don't kill these people, not even her. The police will catch them, you don't need to do it. Trina and I need you here, we need you to protect us-but not like this. Do you understand? No more killing unless it's absolutely necessary."

He started to make a rebuttal, but the sound of the door slamming from the other room startled him. He grabbed the list and shoved it back into his pocket, turning just in time to see Holly storming in with frightened woman beside her.

Robbie shot up, his scream filled the room. "Mom?" Rebecca's mouth was stuffed with a handkerchief, and rope had been tied around her face to hold it in. Holly shoved the woman down to her knees and held out her hand to stop Robbie when he tried to run for his mother. "Let my mom go. She's not a part of this, Holly!"

Andre's eyes widened and Cat clutched her chest. "She became a part of this when you lied to me," Holly remarked, "I wanted you to see what happens when you lie to me." Robbie looked towards his mother and started to whimper. Andre began to stand and looked over his shoulder to see Cat moving towards Robbie. She was staring at Rebecca and slowly shaking her head.

"What is the point of all this?" She asked. Holly's eyes darted over to the redhead and her nostrils flared angrily. "You have us all under your control, we're not leaving you or acting out, so why bring our families into this? Why kill them?"

"Because dear." Holly smiled tenderly and reached for the pistol in her back pocket. Andre tensed his muscles and watched the tears roll down Rebecca's face. Rebecca dropped her head and the room grew silent except for the woman's bitter, muffled sobs. "Sometimes you do silly things and need to be disciplined or reminded of what's right. Of what our goal is."

Robbie reached out to his mom, his body was shaking violently and his lips quivered as he begged with a whisper to talk to his mother. Holly paused and turned her head towards him, still holding her smile.

"Robbie darling, would you love to say something to your mother? Maybe goodbye?"

"P-Please." He whimpered. "I want to talk to her. I want to tell her that I love her, that it's not my fault. I-I didn't want to kidnap Trina, I didn't want Megan to die. I'm sorry. Let my mom go! Please!"

"Aw, so touching. Maybe I should let her have a moment with her son." Rebecca's eyes widened and she leaned forward, her muffled screams pierced the air. Holly twisted partially and rolled her head to the right. "Becky dear, would you like to talk to your son? I'm in a generous mood, I might let you go…"

He could feel his heart pounding each second they stood there. His fingers trembled and temperature began to rise. Before he could say anything, the room shook with a mighty explosion.

"On second thought…" Rebecca collapsed to the floor and blood flowed from her right temple. "You could tell the police where to find us." Robbie dropped to his knees and ripped out with a powerful cry. "And that's unacceptable."

"Y-You bitch!" Robbie cried. Andre froze as the man jumped to his feet and lunged for Holly. "You fucking bitch! I'll kill you myself!" Robbie tackled Holly, his hands wrapped around her throat and his tears dropped down to the woman's shirt. "How could you kill my mother? She wasn't a part of this, she wasn't involved, and you killed her! You fucking bitch!"

Andre looked towards the door and squinted when he saw a tall, semi-muscular woman with long sandy brown hair. "Get off her," the woman demanded. Robbie looked up and Cat screamed.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Your replacement. Holly contacted me on the way over. I'm Nora."

"R-Replacement?" Holly pushed Robbie off with a growl and rose to her feet, while rubbing her throat.

"Yes," Holly cracked her neck and narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't sure until you just did that, but I no longer have any use for you." Robbie pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, looking up to the woman in terror. "My office has a camera, Robbie. I saw you take that list from my desk."

"What? N-No, I-" Robbie looked over to Andre, then dropped his head with a defeated sigh. "It was me. You're right."

Nora moved beside Holly and crossed her arms. "Looks like he's been killing the people on your list too." Andre clenched his eyes and turned his head away. "I see Samantha's little friend is a part of this clan. Has she ever taken a life, Mrs. Malone?"

"No, she's too much of a goody-goody to do that." Andre's eyes shot open and he saw Cat stiffen under the two women's glares.

"I say you should give her a little bit of corruption, Mrs. Malone." Nora's lips curled into a smirk and Holly looked from Robbie to the gun in her hand. "Back in the day, she had a crush on that boy on the ground. Wouldn't it be poetic for her to take his life?" Cat's hands flew to her mouth and she began shaking her head.

"Good idea, Nora." Robbie's body started to fall as Holly forced the gun into Cat's hand. "Go on sweetheart, pull the trigger." Andre growled at the sight. He needed to act. Cat couldn't be forced to take a life, even if it was Robbie.

Cat aimed the weapon with trembling arms. Tears ran along her face as she started to whimper. "No. I can't, I don't want to." Holly repeated herself, but with more firmness to her tone. Robbie turned his head up and met Andre's apologetic stare.

"It's okay," Robbie whispered, "It's better I go this way…" He never fathomed Robbie could be this loyal, not after all these years. His stomach tightened and tears fought to flee from his eyes.

"Fucking shoot him!" Holly yelled. Cat screamed aloud and shook her head, causing Andre's rage and hatred to increase. "Shoot him, or your relative's next." Cat's eyes widened and she looked to Holly.

"No, please! Anything but that!"

"Then shoot the fucking bastard now."

Unable to stand it anymore, Andre rushed forward and grabbed the gun from Cat. The air in the room evaporated and all movement ceased save for his arm flying towards Robbie. Robbie closed his eyes and smiled as Andre pulled the trigger, shooting the man in between the shoulders and just underneath the neck.

"Cat is no killer," Andre panted heavily and turned to Holly. Cat dropped to her knees and let her hands fall to the floor. "I won't let you force her to take a life. Do what you want with me, do what you want to my family, but you _will__fucking leave her and her family out of this!_ Do I make myself clear?"'

"Who are you to make demands?"

"I'm the man holding the fucking gun, and the man who could just as easily shoot you where you stand if I wanted to." He narrowed his eyes and Holly brought her hand up to her chest. "You're the kidnapper, you shouldn't be stupid enough to give your hostages a weapon."

"Yes." Holly smirked and motioned to Nora, then the other room. "But both Nora and Gary are equipped to deal with you if you act out."

"Yeah, but you want us to be loyal." He sneered and turned the gun around, then extended it. "You just let your most loyal hostage die, but I'm giving you this gun so you'll see that Cat and I are loyal, and maybe you won't kill those loyal to you."

"Fine." Holly swiped the gun and walked away. "Nora, have Gary help you load the bodies in the car. We're dumping them." Andre took a deep breath and watched the two leave. Once they were gone, he knelt beside Cat and put his arm around her shoulder.

Her empty gaze broke and her hands covered them. "Why did you do that, Andre? Why did you shoot him?" He pressed his lips together and looked to the body of his old friend.

"Because, they were going to make you do it, and you've never committed any crime in these last few years. You don't need to start now…" She broke into a fit of sobs and leaned into him, dropping her head onto his chest. He wrapped his arms around her body and gently pat her back. His eyes fell onto Robbie, and his voice broke. "Robbie and I, we've had our disagreements sure, and I never pegged him to be so loyal. I think he wanted release more than anything, and now he's with his mom and his sister."

"We're never getting out of here."

"No. I promise, I'll get you and Trina out of here." He kissed her on the top of her head and glanced back to Robbie's body. Robbie died taking Andre's secret to the grave so that he could stay alive and protect the girls, so that he could find a way. "I won't let Robbie's death be for nothing. I promise you…"

* * *

Are you surprised? To his last breath, Robbie was loyal. He could have destroyed the entire operation by spilling everything, but he didn't. Let us all have a moment of silence. Though now things are heating up, and Andre won't be going after any more of those criminals. He will have to think of something else. One more thing will happen to put him on hot coals.


	26. Tiny Hope Left

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:In response to an anonymous question. Yeah I guess some romance happens, but with the type of story that this is, there's not really much room for romance. Mostly you get it from Rick and Tori, or Beck and Jade. Sure Jesse and Trina have something, but with the state that Trina's in, that's tricky. But as in real life you can see romance and love without actually seeing it, by the way someone in love will speak to someone, or the things they'll do for a person, and the way they act. And so on. Now, without further ado, enjoy this chapter.

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Chapter 26 (Tiny Hope Left)

Trina sank beside the toilet with a violent moan and put her hand over her stomach. "Oh god." She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, struggling to keep down the nauseous storm inside. "Please stop." This had to be a curse, either that or a blessing in disguise, but that was only if it was any good. "This can't be happening again…"

The basement door opened and Trina's muscles tightened. Slow and heavy footsteps approached the cell. The heaviness belonged to Andre, but she wasn't sure why he was walking so slowly.

Her hand fell to the floor and her misty eyes studied the door. The scent of blood stabbed her nostrils and made the hurricane of nausea spin further out of control. Her eyes widened and she lunged over the toilet, throwing up once more and cursing as she didn't want Andre seeing this.

"Trina?" She looked over her shoulder and wiped her mouth. Andre's shirt was covered with blood and drenched with sweat. He was breathing heavily and looked ready to break. "Are you al-no, stupid question." He pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. "What's going on?"

"I'd ask you the same." She fell back to the floor and pressed herself up against the wall. "Did you finally snap? Did you kill them? Holly, Gary, are they dead?"

"No…" Her heart sank and she looked away. "I'm sorry, Trina. I…I may have failed." She rolled her eyes and she shot a piercing glare his way. She was holding onto hope as much as she could, but as it had been so long since she felt any hope, it was hard to hold onto it.

"Don't tell me that. It's been a little over a month now since you let me go out and see Jesse. You promised it wouldn't be long before the investigators found us. Why? Why am I still here?" She sniffed and looked up to the ceiling. "Also, I heard gunshots-sounded like thunder. What's going on up there?" Andre took a seat on the bed and folded his forearms over his knees.

"Robbie. Robbie's dead because of me." Her eyes widened and she watched this mountain of a man shake like an earthquake destroying him. "I was trying to secure the way for police. Holly wanted to overwhelm any police that would find her, I was trying to prevent it. Robbie took the rap, and she was going to make Cat kill him…I took the shot instead of her. I couldn't let her have his death on her hands. Not when it was my fault, not when _I_ was responsible."

"That explains the blood."

"She made me dump the body." His jaw locked and veins popped from the surface of his hands. "Cat's innocent in all this, she doesn't deserve to lose that. She doesn't deserve this hell and neither do you."

"It doesn't matter." Robbie's death was just another piece of confirmation that she'd never escape this hellhole. "I never believed I'd make it out of here." Her stomach flipped over and her body sank for a moment. Andre raised an eyebrow at her and his lips tightened together. "I'm going to die here. That's fine."

"No you're not. I'm going to figure something out."

"That's what you said a month ago! Why couldn't you have left me with Jesse, damn it? You're too afraid of risking something by appearing directly involved, but that might be the only way." She narrowed her eyes and let her voice rise as she lost all control. Her muscles tensed and the nausea inside seemed to spike. "Apparently whatever investigators are on the case aren't getting your subtle hints."

"It isn't my fault Gary's car was taken in to the shop and he stopped working. I was unaware."

Her head throbbed with pain and a dull ache shot out throughout her body. "Why? Why should I hold onto any kind of hope for freedom?" His eyes fell to her wrists and his brow furrowed. He shot over, startling her, and grabbed her arm.

"What the hell is this?" He pointed to the red scratch marks and Trina glanced away. "Tell me you haven't been-"

"Would you judge me for it?" Her eyes flickered back into his and frown lines appeared around her lips. "At least my baby is safe. That's all that matters to me now." He looked into the toilet and cringed.

"How long have you been throwing up?"

She tore her arm from his grip and scoffed at him. "What does it matter?" He repeated the question with more firmness and she responded with a meek tone. "Not long. I've been feeling nauseous for a few days." She knew what it was, and she wasn't sure whether or not to be devastated.

Andre's eyes fell and his features softened, though his eyes held a mixture of confusion and fear. "What else has been going on? Any tenderness in the chest?"

She gently rubbed her breast and groaned as the touch caused a tiny surge of pain. "A little…I don't really know what it is. Stress maybe. I've missed a lot of periods over the last nine years."

"And you missed your most recent one?"

"It's the stress, Andre. That's all." It was truly more than that, and she hoped he'd buy into the stress theory. The thought of being pregnant wasn't good for her, and it certainly wouldn't be good for him.

"You slept with Jesse a month ago." A look of horror came over him and he slowly stood. "Oh god, if you are…"

"If I am, then another child's born into this hell. You think I want to bring another baby into this? I'd rather die than let another child suffer the same hell." His eyes bulged and he quickly shook his head.

"You're not going to die, and if you are pregnant-that child isn't going to die either. I won't let anything happen." More footsteps were heard descending the steps and Andre turned to see who it was. Trina leaned out to the right and saw Cat rushing for him with tears running down her face.

"Andre! Holly's left again." The girl's eyes were full of fear, her face was red, and her eyebrows were compressed in the middle. "She's pissed off because I didn't take the shot." She threw her arms around Andre's waist and looked up into his eyes. "Andre…I'm scared. I-I think she might be going after my family members."

Trina lifted her hand and pointed to Cat. "The stress isn't good for her either, Andre." She watched his body tense and Cat shot a look at Trina. The man's hands moved to Cat's upper arms and her eyes went back into his. "Can't say it's good for any of us, especially not since Robbie's dead."

"Cat. I want you to stay with Trina. She might be pregnant." Trina cringed as the color swept away from Cat's face. "She and Jesse had a little tryst a month ago-"

"And?"

"She isn't feeling well. Her breasts are tender, and she missed her most recent period." Trina rolled her eyes and Cat stumbled backwards. "I'm going to run down to the drugstore, buy one of those new pregnancy tests, and we're going to find out if she's pregnant. That's what I'm going to do first."

There was a fire in his eyes which alarmed Trina. It seemed the possibility of her pregnancy was giving him an idea to make a move, because the tone in his voice sounded definitive.

"Since Holly is gone, and Gary is-what's Gary doing?"

"Sleeping."

"Good. He takes a sleep aid, so he'll be knocked out for a good few hours. I'll have some free reign. You stay here with Trina, and no matter what, do not move until I'm back. Should be a few minutes, but I have a phone call to make."

He dropped his hands, and without saying another word, walked out of the cell door. Trina felt a nervous jolt rush from her heart and she looked up to Cat. "He still doesn't know you're pregnant, Cat?" Cat glanced to the toilet, then knelt beside Trina.

"No. I…can't bring myself to tell him. I don't know what he'd do. If you're pregnant, that's another story. If he knew about me being pregnant, he might lose it. I don't want him to murder Holly and Gary out of cold blood. Even if they deserve to die, and I wish to fucking hell they would, Andre shouldn't be the one to do it."

"I can't stand the thought of them living, not after what they've done to me. Not after what they've done to Victoria…I want them dead, more than anything I want them dead!"

"I know. I understand." Cat wiped away her tears and pulled her knees up to her chest. "You and Jesse? How did that happen?" She bowed her head and glanced out the corner of her eyes.

"I was just, I guess I was living in the moment. He didn't want to take advantage of me, but I felt so safe and…it was like you said about you and Andre, I hadn't felt that way in so long that I insisted. I didn't know when the next time I was going to be able to feel like that would be, and I…" Tears fell off her chin and she quickly ran a finger across her bottom eyelid. "I wanted to feel it again before I died."

"And now you might be pregnant."

"God. I don't want this baby to be born in this hell." She dropped her head to her knees and her heart burst. Cat gently rubbed her on the back and moved her head back against the wall. "There's no certainty we're going to make it out, Cat. I don't even know if I can believe it. I felt hope for the first time when I was with Jesse, and now? Now it's all but diminished."

"I know it's hard to keep up any kind of hope, but we have to believe something good's going to happen. I don't know exactly what Andre's planning to do, but he'll think of something. I know he will."

"How bad is it getting up there, Cat? I know Robbie's dead, but I feel like there's something more to it. What's going on?"

Cat's lips pressed together and the girl's brow furrowed. Her voice quieted and she shrugged. "Tori and Jade. They're getting close." Trina's heart stopped for a moment and her lips parted. "I don't know how close, but Holly's getting scared. She's hired former criminals to protect her…"

"God."

"Andre's been trying to find a way to warn them, to warn the police that when they find us…don't come alone." Cat took a deep breath and looked to the ceiling. "I don't know what it means, Andre said he wasn't going to let Robbie's death be for nothing. Then you tell him you might be pregnant, the look in his eyes just a second ago-he's determined. More now than he's been, I can tell."

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"I don't know." The way Andre's been, it wouldn't surprise her if he was able to bring the wrath of god down on Holly's plans. Whatever it was he was going to do, Trina had to wait. "I hope he doesn't get himself killed out there while we're still stuck down here."

"He doesn't seem the type to let that happen." Cat chuckled softly as a smile flickered on Trina's face. "He wouldn't die knowing we're still trapped. He'd fight his way out of hell if that happened."

"Oh? Now you suddenly have some hope?"

"It's weird, but seeing him so concerned for us does give me some hope. I didn't want to believe he was really trying to find a way to get us out after all this time, but now it seems more plausible. I just hope it's true. Because if I have this baby, I want to have this baby in a hospital or somewhere, not here. Not in captivity.

Cat's hand moved over her stomach and she looked down with a nod. "Agreed. I need to see a doctor, I know. Even if it's just a tiny bit, we need to have some hope that we'll make it out-that we'll survive."

"It is a pretty small amount. But, I guess the hope there."

* * *

Remember I said everything happens for a reason? Yep. Looks like Andre's decided to throw caution into the wind at this point.


	27. Comatose

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 27 (Comatose)

"I feel terrible being off the job so long." Tori stretched her legs out on the bed and looked up to Rick, who was standing in the doorway. She watched as he removed his necktie and walked to the mirror on top of the nearby dresser. "At least it gives me more time to spend with my niece and my dad, but…damn."

"You deserve the relaxation, though." She moved her right leg over her left and smiled at her lover. She hadn't been staying with him the entire time, she was often at her house, but these visits with him were wonderful. "Everyone is working so hard on this case. Todos queremos encontrar a tu hermana."

He combed his fingers through his hair and unbuttoned his shirt collar. "It means a lot that everyone wants to find her so much. I just hope she's not too far gone to be saved." She folded her hands over her stomach and moved her eyes to the side. "Ruego que todavía está viva…"

Rick turned towards her and his brow furrowed. "I am certain she is still alive." He removed his suit jacket and set it on the nearby coatrack. "Unfortunately, I do have some bad news to give you." Her eyes closed and she clenched her teeth.

"Oh god. What is it? Is Jade still bothering you about us?"

"Nothing of the sort." He paused and blinked twice. "Well yes, but that isn't important right now." She smiled weakly and watched him kneel beside the bed. He crossed his forearms over on the surface of the mattress and looked into her eyes. "While no more criminals on that list have been murdered since the serial killer, we have found two more bodies…and they are more than likely related to the case."

She sat up straight and tilted her head. "Related how? What are the bodies found?" He bowed his head momentarily and closed his eyes.

"Robbie Shapiro and his mother were found in the creek where you rescued Victoria from." Her lungs shriveled and she clutched her heart while staring back in shock. It took all her power not to jump out of the bed and race to the crime lab. "Whoever shot them positioned them so that Rebecca's arms were around her son."

"Nurturing? Could that be a sign? Maybe to say that a mother was responsible-Holly was responsible?"

"Maybe. Rebecca was found with a gunshot wound to the right temple, while Robbie was found with a bullet in his upper back."

"Why was Rebecca even taken? She was supposed to remain at her home!"

"Her husband says she had to go into work, she couldn't sit idly by." Tori groaned angrily and muttered under her breath over the ridiculousness of the crime. "I will be heading out again in about two hours."

"More work?"

"Not exactly. I have something I would like to find, and Jesse is helping." She nodded and set her head back on the headboard. This was far too much for her, so much that she was thankful for the time off.

It was distressing to know that Robbie was dead, after all these years. No amount of anger she had towards his involvement could stop her from feeling the pain of realizing his murder could have potentially been prevented.

"Let's talk about something else. Anything else."

"Si, mi amor." Ricky pushed himself up and sat on the bed beside her. His hand moved over his and his compassionate gaze fell into hers. She smiled back at him and let her head roll to the side. "Your niece is quite fond of Jesse, and of your father."

"That's good. Jesse makes a good surrogate father."

"You still have not spoken to her real father about her?" She scowled and looked away, narrowing her eyes at the wall.

"I'll leave that up to Trina. Sinjin's too busy with that woman he's with, and after what happened to Holly…I don't want Trina to have to deal with the same issue regarding Haley. I know you said it's unlikely that Haley would be the same way, but I just can't trust her. I want to, but-"

"Su ira hacia tu madre te ha cegado de confiar en ella?" That was exactly it. She was so angry with her mother that she let that rage blind her from being able to trust whether or not Haley would be just like the woman. "Your emotions are still high, it is understandable."

"It's ugly on me, I know." She relaxed her muscles and smiled as he caressed her cheek. His hand slid beneath her hair and he leaned forward, kissing her on the tip of her upper lip.

"It does not suit you, but it does not take away from your beauty and your soul. I know that you have a great deal of hatred towards your mother right now, and you may even want to take her life, but just remember-it isn't worth it."

"Yeah…"

"I love you. Always." Her heart skipped a beat and she moved her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her and embracing his lips with hers.

Back on the job, Tori listened to Jade prattle on about how good it was to have her back on the team. The length of time she took off was rough on her, but she actually liked it, so she was more likely to focus more on time off. Still, she preferred that to be after this case was over.

"I wouldn't say it means I'm going to suddenly decide to settle down and have a family." Tori rolled her eyes and smiled at Jade. Her friend stopped talking and let out a disgruntled sigh. "One step at a time."

"Yeah, well, it's still good to have you back on the team. I swear to god, if I hear one more Spanish phrase, I'm going to scream." Tori smirked and Jade quickly snapped her fingers. "That is _not_ an invitation, Miss Latina."

"Aw that's too bad…Es divertido meterse con usted."

"Goddamn it!" Tori laughed at the woman. "If I wasn't in a moving car, I'd leave."

"Yeah, unfortunately we have a job to do." Her first day back and there was already a crime scene that could be connected. Jade's expression twisted to pain and regret, which was a sign she knew what they were walking into. "Do you know the situation already?"

"I do. It's difficult, because the victim is like Mrs. Shapiro, he shouldn't have been out of the house." Jade grew silent and looked out the window. "I told them to stay put, don't leave the house for anything."

"Who's the victim?"

Tori stopped in front of the jewelry store next to the scene of the crime. "Will Valentine." Her heart sank into her stomach and she let Jade guide her into the alley where the body was. William was sitting in his wheelchair, his head had fallen to his chest, and a bullet hole was in the back of his head. "Jesse was near the scene, he's tailing the perpetrator back to their hideout."

She removed her sunglasses and looked to the officers scouring the alleyway for clues. "What was he doing out here?"

"Their house is just a block away. Mrs. Valentine said her son wanted some fresh air, so she decided to take a walk." She saw the mother standing with her husband at the end of the alley, sobbing frantically. "She apparently had to use the restroom, and from witness statements, William was led outside by some woman."

"You said Jesse went after the assailant? Who was this woman?"

Jade took a deep breath and looked up to Tori. "It was Holly." Her jaw dropped and her muscles tightened with a powerful rage. "That's why Jesse pursued her from a distance rather than start a chase, he wanted to follow her to the hideout so that we could be alerted to Trina's whereabouts."

"Okay." She put on her gloves and slanted her eyes at the handlebars of the wheelchair, they hadn't yet been dusted for prints as far as she could see. "Has anyone heard from him yet?"

"No. He was in plainclothes." She walked to the chair, still listening to Jade. "As far as I know, he and Rick were around this area."

"Rick?" Her eyes widened and a sudden spark of unexplained nausea hit her in the gut. She looked to Jade and pursed her lips. "Why was he in this area?" Now that she thought about it, Rick did mention wanting Jesse's help to find something. "Did Jesse mention what they were doing here in the first place?"

"I'm afraid not. They only saw Holly leaving the alleyway. They didn't see William until after they were driving off after the woman." The feeling in her gut grew worse and she was compelled to call Rick.

"Hold on." She looked towards the jewelry store as her bad feeling turned to worry and distress. Jade crossed her arms and leaned to the side as she waited for Rick to pick up his phone.

"What's the problem Tori?"

"I-I don't know. All of a sudden I just feel weird. Jesse and Rick are tailing a dangerous woman, something doesn't feel right to me. I can't explain…"

"I'm sure they're fine."

"They haven't made contact yet, Jade, and how long ago did investigators say the murder happened?"

"A little over an hour." She lowered the phone when Rick didn't pick up. Just before she could put it back into her pocket, it was ringing, but the number belonged to Jesse. Jade leaned over and raised her eyebrows. "Speaking of the devil, there's Jesse now."

"Thank god," she breathed a sigh and put her hand to her chest. If Jesse was calling, that meant he and Rick were okay. Her worry was for nothing. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened…" Jade's eyebrow arched further and her hands moved to her hips. She put the phone up to her ear and spoke with a frantic tone. "Jesse? What's going on? Did you find Holly's hideout?"

"Yeah Tori, about that…" Jesse's voice was full of pain, which alarmed her. "I'm at the hospital right now. Los Angeles United Regionals. There's been an accident. You need to come in…"

In the hospital room, Jesse sat beside the hospital bed. He had a few bruises and cuts, and his injuries included cracked ribs. He was still okay to leave the hospital.

In the bed was Rick, his arms were beside his blanketed body, and he was hooked up to an IV and heart monitor. Beck was present, as the accident happened close to where the bank was that he worked. Sam was there due to being part of the backup responders Rick and Jesse called in, and David had been riding along with her since they were originally investigating something else.

Tori burst through the doors, her heart pounded heavily inside of her as violent, angry tears shot down her face. "Rick!" The others stepped away from the bed, letting her run to him. She threw her arms around his body and dropped her head to his chest, sobbing frantically.

Her knees buckled and she looked towards him. Seeing him hooked up to a heart monitor broke her and filled her with a rage and depression that far exceeded anything she'd felt before.

"Doctors say he should wake up," Jesse whispered, "They just don't know when." A single sob fell from her lips and she gently traced his jawline with her fingers. There was a gash on the side of his head as well as cuts and bruises all along his arms.

"What happened?" Her left hand grasped the blanket as an electric pain shot through her arm and chest. "What happened to him?" Jesse took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"We followed Holly to a mansion. She pulled into the driveway and we started to drive off, then Rick noticed she was backing out…" Tori's lips quivered as she swept Rick's bangs from his face. He looked like an angel beneath the hospital lights, but this was not a sight she wanted to see. This was not the grief she wanted to feel. "She followed us for about ten minutes, so we started to speed up trying to shake her. We had the small police cruiser, she was in her van."

Tori felt a hand on her shoulder and quickly brushed it away. Her eyes shot back at Beck and he withdrew his attempted comforting gesture. "The bank I work at is just off the freeway." He crossed his arms and exhaled. "We heard a crash and ran out, their car had gone through the guardrails and was on its side. Rick was driving."

"Oh god." Her stomach lurched and her fingers tightened on the bed sheet. "No." She pushed herself forward and brought her wet trembling lips to Rick's, as if she could wake him with her kiss. "She won't have you. She won't take you from me. I won't let her. No puede tener usted."

"This is what we were trying to find." Jesse set a small black box in front of her. "I'm sorry, Tori." Her eyes widened when she saw the object resting in the velvet box, it was a beautiful diamond ring. "I'm sorry."

Her heart exploded inside her chest, causing a massive pain to shoot through her. Her limbs went limp and she fell beside Rick as her mournful cry shook the room.

"I-I'll kill her, I'll fucking kill that bitch!" Her anguished screams broke those around her, bringing them all to tears. "First my sister, then my friends." She breathed heavily, her muscles tensed further as her pain turned to hate. "But not him. She is not going to have him!" Her nostrils flared and she breathed in the salty tears that drenched her face. She felt her father's and Jade's arms around her, trying to console her the best they could, but it was to no avail.

Even if he wasn't dead, even if he could survive this, it didn't take away the fact that Holly tried to kill the one man that she truly cared for. "I hate her! I fucking hate her!" Her chest continued to tremble with her voice and her head fell onto Rick's body, drenching him with her tears.

"I know this might be a bad time to bring it up…" Jesse took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. "I also received a phone call. From Andre Harris. That list of criminals? Holly did hire them as protection to kill any police officer that comes to the mansion…we're advised not to go alone."

"War? She wants a war? Then she'll have it. Ella tendrá su maldita guerra."

* * *

Well, it's on. Your thoughts on everything? By the way, good song for the story: youtube dot com /watch?v=DTTxtneonq8


	28. Preparations

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 28 (Preparation)

"I always believed she'd been taken by a stranger, or a perverse man." Tori listened to her dad while wiping her standard 9 mm Beretta with a rag. "I never once fathomed that my ex-wife was responsible." She wrinkled her nose as David continued to moan. He ran his hand over his head and closed his eyes. "I can't say that I wanted it to be that alternative, but until tonight I was in denial that Holly would have done it. Then, I'm not even certain if Holly being the perpetrator is any better than if it had been a stranger, or…or a…" He choked on his words and Tori set the pistol down on the table.

"That would likely have been worse, but don't even think about it Dad. Holly is the one that took her, end of story." The venom dripped from her words as though they'd been bathed in her malice. "Robbie, Andre, Holly, Gary…Robbie may be dead, but the others? They're going to regret their actions all the way to the day they were born."

"Tori."

"I will not quiet. I've never felt so much like wishing someone would have died in their mother's womb than I do right now. Even Holly-no, I don't know her. I don't care about her." David frowned and Tori started for the bedroom door. "I'm going to check on the guy Jesse's got scouting the location."

It was late at night, so they assumed Holly and everyone at the mansion would be asleep. This way, they could have a guy in Jesse's narcotics department lead a small group of officers en route around the mansion to get a feel of the place. The mapping of the mansion would be crucial.

"You know." She walked up to Jesse and set her hand on his shoulder. He was seated at his computer, watching the visual coming in from the camera attached to the hat that his contact had. "In Mexico, the town that Rick's father is from…when police raid a location, they do so in a way that causes quite a scene." Jesse turned his head to her and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you saying? We grab a bulldozer or something and wreck the place?"

"Close enough. I want to get Trina and Cat out of there alive, that's my only goal right now…and damn anyone that gets in my way."

"That's the goal we all have in mind." He turned back to the camera and narrowed his eyes. "I know you're angry, I know you're hurting, but please remember to be careful. If you were to kill Holly, with the way you are right now, it wouldn't make you any better than her…and I doubt Rick would want that." She pulled her hand away and shook her head.

"I'm better than that woman regardless." She leaned forward and pointed to the computer. "I hope you have them making notes of every room." She didn't care to be lectured right now, all she wanted was to get this job done. "Damn Andre, he should have made that call sooner. Either he's in on it and finally cracked, or he slipped up."

"There is something that's just odd about it. If he's in on the whole thing, why in the hell would he make contact?"

"It could be a trap for all we know." There were many things to prepare for in the next day. She was heeding the warning that Andre gave about the criminals, but she also had to pay attention to another risk that presented itself. "We need a way to block the media."

"Block the media?"

"We're getting a girl out that's been missing for nine years." She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "We've got the police force coming to this mansion. An event like this is going to attract national media within the hour and they'll be flocking like droves." Jesse nodded and started to frown.

"That is true." He scratched his chin and raised an eyebrow. "We could use a blocker to black them out, but then you have an issue regarding free press." A blocker was similar to what was used to block out cell phones many years ago, technology had advanced to the point that radio waves and television equipment could be blocked out by these devices.

"Get one anyway and use it as a last resort. For the most part, allow them to film, but have some police vans circling around the mansion so they can't see anything. When we get Trina and Cat, we leave. The only thing I want news media or the American people seeing are police vehicles. They will not see my sister, they will not see Cat, and I will not allow either of those two girls to be exploited."

She remembered the three women from 2013, the news media exploited them and the man that found them. Social media went on talking to them for years, even creating a page for them. Tori could only assume how uncomfortable it would have made them, and she did not want Trina going through the same thing. If she had any say over the way things went, she was going to ensure her sister eventually found normalcy in her life again.

Looking at the screen, she saw the investigator had been able to enter the mansion without triggering the alarm. Suspicion set in and she leaned over the computer, gripping the edges of the table firmly as she spoke into the microphone on the laptop. "How did you get in there? Do they not have an alarm?" She expected there to be some elaborate set up.

"I don't know," the officer replied, "The door was open. As if someone shut off the alarm and let us in." Her eyes widened and she quickly looked to Jesse, to see if he felt something off. "We're looking around, making sure we're not walking into a trap of any kind."

The living room was expansive and had a stairwell on either side of the room. The second floor main room was mainly a balcony that stretched around the room, with two large doors above the kitchen doorway. There were other doors, but Tori didn't want the officers opening those doors and risk their threat.

"Okay, just walk into the kitchen…" The officer complied and one of the first things to show up was a pool of blood beside the kitchen table. Tori's stomach churned violently at the sight. The officer looked around, letting her see the kitchen more fully. There were multiple doorways, and another stairway.

The thing that caught her eye as he looked around was a door with a keypad alarm. Beneath the keys was a series of numbers written with black marker. However, the were difficult to read in the dark room. She would try the numbers tomorrow and see what was down there.

The alternative was kick the door in.

The officers continued to scour the mansion, checking all the floors and balconies. There were many bedrooms in which snores could be heard coming from within. She didn't need more confirmation to know that Holly already had some resident criminals staying in.

They were going to have to try and arrest the majority of them, but there was a chance many were going to be injured or killed. She wasn't wasting time or holding back, so the police were going to crash into the mansion and start tearing the place apart. Anyone that resisted arrest would be taken down. Anyone that fought back with a weapon would be shot, it was standard protocol.

"There's something outside," the officer muttered. He turned towards a window and motioned to a building in the distance. It was long enough to look like a bunker. Tori ran her tongue along her lips and slanted her eyes at the building. "We tried the door, but it's locked. There were voices there, but nothing recognizable."

"Okay. It's possible some of the criminals are already present. Holly could be sensing us, she may have already told her people to come." This was fine, because Tori was confident. "I'm going to go ahead and head straight to Trina, to try and find her. Jesse, it may be a good idea for you to be there with me."

"I will be." He pulled his hand away from the computer and looked up. "I'm not going to rest until I find her. Still, we should probably try and locate Holly as well."

"Right, because if that woman gets away…" She tensed and cleared her throat as the others in the room murmured over what could happen then. They needed to catch Holly, and if she got away, she'd be able to run and hide. "It's not something I can accept as happening."

"Agreed."

"You guys deal with that," Sam remarked, "I'm going to do what I can to find Cat." Sam crossed her arms and turned her heavy glare onto the computer screen. "She's in that house somewhere, and I'm going to bring her back. As far as I know from that list, Nora's in there too, so Cat is my priority." Tori had to agree. She knew of their history with Nora and was more than aware of how dangerous such a woman could be.

Beck looked to the ground, then back to Tori. "You know I'm going to be there. I'll guard the outside, make sure none of the primary people get out. I'd like to get a hold of Andre and try to figure out what's going on with him."

"Fair enough."

"And I'll find Gary," David stated in a gruff remark. Monica wasn't happy with David going, but she understood his reasoning. He crossed his arms as the elder woman put her head to his shoulder. "That bastard betrayed me in some of the worst ways, and I would very much like to have a chat with him. "

"You'll get your chance, dad. Everyone will." She cleared away the grogginess in her throat and clenched her fists tight. "Now just all of you remember…the main thing we want to make sure of is that the innocents are uninjured. When we go in tomorrow, we go in expect anything that can go wrong to go wrong."

She looked to the computer screen with an uneasy feeling in her gut. As she visualized Rick and then her sister, she let the anger towards her mother increase greatly. "This is going to be a battle, we need to treat it like one. Media control is essential, I don't want to be walking out that door with a million cameras shining in my face."

"I'll keep them from breaking through," Beck replied. He excelled at monitoring things, so she had no doubt he could keep the media in control if need be. "Will we be circling the mansion with police vehicles as you suggested earlier?"

"Yes." She walked to the right and hit her hand against her palm while clicking her tongue in thought. "We need to also put up boards in the low parts where it could be possible for news cameramen to poke through. Crowd control will be essential, but there are plenty of police officers with training to help with that…"

In the corner of her eyes she saw Victoria walking into the room with Monica. Monica appeared greatly worried while Victoria was looking at everyone with curiosity.

Tori knelt before her niece and smiled into the child's eyes. "Victoria. Tomorrow we're going to bring your mother home." The girl's eyes widened and her lips spread into a wide smile. "We've found that mansion, we've found where they're keeping Trina. I want you to stay here with your grandma." She looked to Monica, hoping the woman understood how important her duty was. Monica had to look after the children, because should something go wrong, she needed to be here.

"You're coming back?" The girl's voice was full of concern and worry, so Tori attempted to comfort her with a hug. "Promise?"

"I promise. We'll be back, and we'll be back with your mother." She stood back up and turned partially towards the others, readying herself to give them a speech for encouragement. "Get ready guys." Her nostrils flared and a new determination flickered in her soul. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

* * *

And we march on to war.


	29. The Final Stand

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Here is where it begins. I wanted to go ahead and give you this now. Hope you enjoy, bear in mind the raid spans more than one chapter.

* * *

Chapter 29 (The Final Stand)

The sound of tires kicking up gravel and dirt filled Tori's ears as she stood before the mansion. Standing directly behind her were David, Jesse, Sam, Beck and Jade. A large group of SWAT and police officers equal in number to the list of criminals prepared themselves.

"We've got probably an hour to two hours before the media picks up on this." Tori pushed her hands to her waist, letting her uniform suit flap around her arms. She had a vest beneath her outfit, as did the others. "Make sure the media isn't hovering like a pack of dogs on meat." She looked to the large police van sitting in the middle of all the police vehicles blocking the mansion off from the street and prying eyes. "That van needs to be ready to take off when we come out with the girls."

"It will be," Jade replied. The girl handed Tori megaphone. She watched a curtain in the window shift. Her heart pounded heavily as she lifted the object up to her lips. She didn't want to prolong this any further. "Holly Malone, Gary Malone, and Andre Harris! We don't have to do this the hard way. If you come out with your hands behind your head, give yourself up and we can avoid a fight. Resist arrest and you will be met with superior force."

She lowered the horn and glanced from window to window. One of the curtains in a top floor window moved and an object slid out the slit. Her eyes widened and she turned to an officer on the ground, but the gunshot pierced the air before she had time to react.

The officer fell to the ground and hissed painfully as he clutched his side. She didn't need an excuse to charge in now, whoever fired the shot gave the answer she needed. The fight was on. Her lips turned up into a wide grin and her eyes lit up as her heart pumped the adrenaline through her.

"Alright officers, charge in!" One of the medics on hand ran to aid the fallen officer while the others rushed for the mansion. Tori stood back with Jade and the others as she watched Holly's army of criminals run around the sides of the house to close the officers in. Her nostrils flared and she bowed her head. "Shit."

"That wasn't expected," Jade muttered, "We can't kill them all. We have to make arrests."

"We shoot anyone that resists." Her nose wrinkled as her heavy eyes fell upon the top floor window. Holly was peering down at the fight, her face was stern and her gaze was full of hatred. Tori's shoulders and chest rose with a sharp inhale, then held in place. "Only arrest when they have surrendered and given up the fight."

"Tori…maybe you should stay back?"

"Why the hell would I do that?" She crossed her arms and watched the officers. The SWAT officers were using riot shields to push their attackers up against the walls of the mansion, while other officers were standing apart and shooting into the crowd.

The criminals had their own weapons, consisting of pistols and kitchen knives. Every so often, one would get past a SWAT officer and strike down a regular officer.

"Hey Tori?" Sam leaned back and Tori slowly looked to her. "Um, when do we go in again?" They were waiting for the officers to clear the way for them so that they could enter, and right now she wasn't sure just what she'd find upon entering the mansion.

"As soon as the path is clear." Another officer nearby managed to get a pair of handcuffs on one of the fighters. She felt a rush of satisfaction when that enemy was led to a patrol car. "You're going to look for Cat?" Sam nodded. Tori dropped her right hand to the pistol in her holster and glanced Towards the window where Holly was. "Dad? You're looking for Gary?"

"Yes."

Tori flicked her thumb across the safety on her gun. Her eyes slanted at the woman and her lips grew into a deadly sneer. "I'll get Holly. We need to expect that there are also criminals inside, and very likely they'll be waiting for us wherever Trina's being held. So while finding Trina is the first priority, we need to make sure there is no one left in that mansion that can ambush us when we get her out."

Another thought struck her while thinking of these enemies waiting inside. If she could turn any of them against one another, then now would be a good time, and she had yet to forget that Olivia's murderer was in there.

"I got an idea. Let's get them fighting each other in there while we have time."

"What?"

"You'll see." She lifted the bullhorn up and shouted out to Andre. "I need you to know what happened to your sister. Olivia Harris was murdered by an abusive boyfriend. She was killed several years ago by Leonard…one of the criminals working for your boss in there! He was arrested, but was one of the people that Holly aided in escaping prison." Jade dropped her head and the others shook their heads at her.

"Give me that." Sam grabbed the megaphone and put it to her mouth. "Nora Dershlitt, this is Officer Samantha Puckett. I know you're in there, but you're not a killer. We do not have to do this dance, come out with your hands up and you will not be met with force. The minute the officers out here clear the way for us, we are entering the house. Anyone that resists will be shot." Tori raised an eyebrow as Sam tossed the megaphone to the side. "Is that what you wanted to say, Tori?"

"Sure."

Tori removed her sunglasses and made eye contact with Holly. Her scowl stretched further and her hand clenched around the handle of the pistol. When Holly's face grew smug, Tori pulled the gun from her holster and snapped her arm upright to the window. Holly's eyes widened and she ducked out of the way just as Tori snapped her finger down on the trigger.

The glass shattered and fell down over the criminals and officers fighting amongst each other. While the SWAT officers were guarded by their safety gear, the criminals were cut by the glass fragments.

"You're mine, bitch…"

Holly's arm wrapped around the window, her hand was clutching her own gun as though it were her lifeline. The pistol snapped back and Tori felt a breeze fly past her hair. She twisted her neck and narrowed her eyes at the bullet now lodged in the side of the getaway car.

Inside the mansion, Andre paced the floor. His face and shirt was drenched with sweat, and his body felt as though it were on fire. Thoughts of the last nine year raced through his brain and forced the guilt inside him to rage out of control.

His hands formed a triangle that he brought up to his face, and his eyes drifted to the basement door. There were at least three criminals hiding around the kitchen, just waiting for an officer to try and open the door.

_"I only got seven out of the thirty…"_ Ten of the criminals had been outside, leaving thirteen inside. Along with his guilt was the painful grief that came from the words Tori said outside.

He should have been able to protect his sister, and he would have done exactly that if he hadn't been in captivity all these years.

_"Who's upstairs?"_ He slid his hands down and looked to the stairwell. Of the ten that were not in the kitchen, there were at least four on the second floor. Nora, Krystal, Tyler, and Andrew-all of these four had been former convicts that were released and charged with kidnapping crimes.

The three in the kitchen were Ralph, Hector, and Jeremy-all charged with murder. They'd done their time, however.

There were two criminals in the living room, but they were inconsequential. Petty thieves that were guarding the door, waiting to shoot the first officer that entered the house.

The third floor of the mansion had the billiard table in its main room. He knew of only one criminal specifically stationed in that room, and that was Leonard.

The remaining were scattered throughout the first and third floor. "Alright. First thing first." He clenched his teeth and made his way into the living room where the two petty thieves were waiting with their guns pointed to the door. Their arms were trembling and sweat was falling from the sides of their face.

He smirked and turned his eyes to the second floor balcony. No one was present, so he could easily deal with these two.

"I don't think so." Andre grabbed his blow dart, ready to give it for one last hurrah on this, his final stand. He blew two darts as hard and quickly as he could, striking both. The thieves turned around, their eyes wide and jaws agape.

He chuckled at them and spread his hands apart while shrugging. "Sorry guys, but no one that enters that door is getting shot on sight." He clenched his fists and pushed them forward, crushing the jaws of the criminals and knocking them onto the floor. "Now, if you don't mind…I have to pay a little visit to a small man."

Making his way to the third floor was difficult because he had to be sneaky about it. Tori's blasting on about what Leonard had done wasn't helpful, despite informing him. Now Holly and the others might know he was pissed enough to kill the man.

Not surprisingly, Leonard was busy shooting pool. Andre walked in casually and removed a pair of brass knuckles from his pockets. The man's back was turned to him, so he had a moment to study him. Leonard was tall and dark skinned, he had a thick goatee and tightly pressed hair. He was thin, and wore an orange jumpsuit.

"There's a war going on outside and you're in here shooting pool?" Leonard froze, bent over his stick. He turned his head sideways over his shoulder and frowned at Andre.

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

"You know. It's funny." Andre clapped his hands together and took a step towards the rack on the wall holding the pool sticks in place. He put his fingers to one stick and studied the weight, then looked to the long stick with a metal end that was commonly used for handicap when the ball was out of reach. It was called a bridge. The metal end looked like the claws of a tiger's fist. "I went to the gravesite and saw my sister was dead-I wondered why she would have died so young."

Leonard stood upright and set the pool stick down on the table. "Yeah, it sucks about Holly, doesn't it? Forcing you to work for her while under the threat of your family being slaughtered."

"Sure." He laughed and removed the bridge from the rack. "Except, Holly didn't know my relatives were already dead. Neither did I, but if she knew, I'd be dead."

"Uh…huh." Leonard slowly wrapped his fingers around his pool stick and furrowed his brow as Andre turned to his head to him. "So. Your sister? Olivia? I'm really sorry to-"

"Don't play stupid, you fucking asshole." Without another word, and filled with rage, he swung the bridge in an overhead arch. Leonard's eyes widened and he swung his stick in front of him, holding it horizontally. He screamed as the bridge came crashing down on the stick.

Andre growled and pulled back on the stick, striking Leonard's stick with the metal end and forcing him to drop the object. "You're dead, Leonard!" He swung the stick again and slashed Leonard's right shoulder.

"Motherfuck-" The man hissed and Andre rushed forward, with only revenge on his mind. "It's not my fault the bitch wouldn't shut up."

"Oh don't you dare." Andre threw a fist into Leonard's stomach, causing the man to buckle over. He threw another punch, but Leonard ducked out of the way and grabbed his pool stick off the ground.

"Fuck you!" Leonard swung the weapon and struck Andre hard in the neck, forcing him to the ground. "You should be fighting the police, not me!"

He breathed out heavily and slowly turned his eyes onto the panting man. His cold lips turned into a smirk and he spoke with venom dripping from his voice.

"I'm on their side, asshole, but I'm not killing you for them. I'm going to kill you…for my sister."

"Shit." He loved to see the fear in the man's eyes, and he was going to utilize that to make this man understand what he put Olivia through before killing her. Leonard's death would be a sweet victory for him.

* * *

Murder is fresh on the minds of at least two people. Let us go as we see how far Tori will go. Everyone play the war song haha


	30. Strength is Internal

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Some things will be sectioned during this fight, so you will see different perspectives being given. Those perspectives are the people who will have big moments to deal with. There is a specific order things need to happen in.

* * *

Chapter 30 (Strength is Internal)

"The way is clear." David thanked the officer as the man led the final criminal to a squad car. His aged eyes fell onto his daughter with worry, he was praying she wouldn't lose herself in this and that she would remember why they were there. He understood her anger, and even her hatred, because he felt that himself. Even still, she could not go in with revenge on her mind.

"Let's find your sister." He took a deep breath as Tori nodded and led the group to the door. He was afraid of his own health getting in the way, but there was a new strength inside of him that was birthed by his granddaughter as well as Monica. He was determined to be there for them, and he wasn't going to let anything get in the way.

He brought his gun close to his chest and leaned sideways against the wall beside the door. Jesse did the same on the other side of the door. David set his hand on the doorknob and looked to the others for approval and readiness. Once they readied their weapons, he pushed open the door, but to their surprise, no one was waiting on the inside.

What they found was two men on the ground with darts in their necks. Tori crouched beside them and studied the darts for a minute. "Andre must have done this." David pressed his lips together and looked to the right stairwell. His instinct was pulling him in that direction, but he wasn't sure if splitting up was a good idea.

As Beck and Jade remained outside, he was certain Tori and Jesse would be teaming together to locate Holly and then Trina. David nudged Sam and motioned to the stairwell on the left. She glanced over and furrowed her brow.

"You go up the left, I'll go up the right. We'll meet in the middle and go through the second floor doorway." At some point of time during the fight outside, David spotted Holly in a third floor window. "Tori, Jesse, I believe Holly moved up to the third floor." Tori gave him a nod and glanced to the staircase leading from the second floor to the third.

"Then we'll go up from here," Tori replied, "Take any and all by surprise."

"Remember, we're here to make arrests-not to kill. Don't take any lives unless it's necessary." As the most seasoned investigator here, he felt it was important to advise them properly. "I understand emotions are high, and everyone here wants to get the job done as quickly as possible, but try and think like an officer and enforcer of the law. Don't think like a sister, a lover, a friend…think like a cop. Make the arrest, not the kill."

His only hope was that they would listen to him. He knew there would be death, there was no doubt in his mind that these people were going to have to take a life. For him, when he was on the job, taking a life was always the hardest thing to do.

The first human life he took haunted him even today. It was during an armed robbery at a gas station, and he was just a beat cop-new to the force. The man had already killed a customer and the clerk, and he had his gun trained on David. It became a matter of who was going to shoot first, and he had to take the shot.

"Let me remind you, the people in this mansion are still human. No matter who they are or what they've done to you…" He met his daughter's intense gaze and his muscles relaxed. The others understood, but he truly wanted his words to get through to her. "Once you've made the decision to take a life, you will always remember it. That kill will stay with you for the rest of your life. During my forty years as an officer, I've had to make that call numerous times-and it is not an easy call to make. That call saved many lives, but the decision always weighs heavily on you. So if you have to make that call, make it only when you have no other options left."

"I get it," Jesse remarked, "If anything shoot if they are aiming to kill."

"Yes. How many of you here has had to take a life during your time on the force?" They looked at each other and shook their heads. Jesse was the only one to confirm that he had to do it. "What happened, Jesse?"

"Second year on the force." Jesse lowered his gun and lifted his shoulders. "I was undercover, trying to make an arrest on a drug deal. The dealer figured I was undercover and pulled a gun on me." Jesse's voice trembled and he brought his hand up over his mouth. The others listened and looked on with sorrow as he told his tale. "He took a shot, fortunately I had a vest on at the time. I emptied my clip as I was trained to do. All I remember about it thinking back is the man was laying there, just a heap of blood…You're right David, you don't forget. It was the hardest time of my life."

"No doubt you had to do a lot of paperwork as well."

"Yeah." Jesse exhaled and slid his hand away from his face. "You have to explain why the gun was fired, you have to undergo investigation just to make sure the kill was legitimate…there's a whole mess of shit that you have to deal with afterwards." The man looked at Tori and nodded once. "I'm with your father. I don't want to have to take a life unless it's necessary."

"We're soaking daylight," Tori replied coldly, "We need to get this job done." She grabbed two of the handcuffs on her belt and hurried to cuff the thieves on the floor. A group of officers entered behind them and awaited orders. "Take these two out to the patrol unit. Have a medic check them for any injuries. The rest of you, search the first floor, make sure to arrest anyone you find."

With that, they were off. David hurried up the right set of stairs and carefully checked each door he came across. The last door he came to before the double doors was a bathroom, and there was a shadow of a person behind the curtain in the bathtub.

"Come out with your hands up," he demanded. The shadow moved and he pointed his gun to the curtain in case the person tried to attack. He caught the smell of perfume and analyzed the height of the shadow to be about five feet, which was indicative of a female presence. "I repeat, put up your hands and step out now."

The woman did as instructed, holding her hands up in the air. She had a pistol in her right hand and a knife in her left. "Step out of the bathtub." He spread his feet apart and narrowed his eyes as the woman once again did as ordered. "Put the weapon on the floor, and kick it to me."

She was a young woman, and he recognized this criminal as someone he arrested on one of his last cases. This was Krystal Allison, she robbed a gas station at gunpoint, but didn't take a life. When he arrived on the scene with his partner, he could see how fearful she was, and thankfully, that same fear was present on her face today.

"I-I was just released," Krystal remarked, "I don't want to go back to jail. I'm sorry. I really am." She put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. He holstered his gun and moved her wrists behind her back, holding them together as he handcuffed them. "Am I in trouble?"

"You're being arrested for aiding a wanted murderer, Holly Malone." The girl started to tear up and set her head on the wall.

"I didn't do anything. When the police arrived I hid in the bathroom because I was scared. I don't want to go back to prison, please. She made me work for her."

"You will be given the opportunity to have a lawyer if you can't afford one for yourself, and you don't have to say anything that you are not comfortable with saying." He did feel for the girl, but it wasn't his job to let her go. "Can you tell me what I am to expect on this floor?"

"I'll tell you anything to help. There are three others on the second floor. Nora Dershlitt, Tyler Matthews and Andrew Ebony. Nora's leading the charge. First floor…Ralph, Hector and Jeremy are guarding the kitchen. Third floor has four people on it, I think, but I heard fighting up there."

"Okay, thank you." He grabbed her arm and guided her out of the bathroom. Two officers had climbed the stairs and stopped in front of him. "Before I hand you over to the officers, do you know the whereabouts of Gary Malone?"

"I think he might be guarding this floor, but I'm not sure."

"Okay. Go with these two. Thank you for your cooperation, Krystal." He waited for them to take her off and turned around with a frown, Sam had already gone ahead without him. "Damn, I didn't want anybody splitting up unless they had to."

He grabbed the radio from his waist and made his way through the double doors while speaking into it. "Detective Puckett, do not get too far ahead. All detectives and sergeants in this building, be aware, I have received information pertaining to the criminals that are scattered around the floors."

After giving the information, he returned the radio to his waist and looked up in time to see someone rushing in his direction. Caught off guard, he was shoved back against the guardrail.

"Shit, my back!" He clenched his teeth as searing pain shot through him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Gary staring back at him. "Gary? You…" Gary's right hand clenched around David's throat and the man blew out several puffs of air.

"You look weak, David. The years haven't been kind to you, but I'm still strong."

"We'll see who's strong." David grabbed Gary's wrist with both hands and held his breath, fighting against the pain in his body and using all his strength to push the man away.

"You shouldn't have come here, Dave. I didn't want to have to kill you." Gary's left hand covered David's face and started pushing him back, forcing painful shocks in his neck.

On instinct, David kicked his knee upwards and struck Gary in the waist. The man released him and took a step back, holding his stomach and taking a deep breath. David straightened himself with a heavy pant and rubbed his neck.

"We were friends once Gary. How could you do this to me?" They were close in their college days, then inseparable in their days at the academy. It felt like an eternity ago, however. "Time may have taken my strength away, but you've become withered and wretched."

"You want to know why? How far back are you curious to know?"

"I want to know why you took my daughter. I know why you started fucking my wife behind my back-" Gary broke out in laughter and spread his arms out to the sides.

"Enlighten me? I almost guarantee you have no idea." David stepped to the side, circling around so that his back would be to the wall in case Gary thought to charge him again. "Though it might have more to do with the lack of attention you paid her."

"She was violent, angry, abusive…of course I was going to divorce her."

"Exactly, so she found someone better. And clearly…" Gary's eyebrow rose and his eyes scanned David's thin body. "Someone who could stay in shape through the years." Gary folded his arms and David lowered his voice. He kept his anger inside, knowing that resorting to violence on impulse and seeking revenge would be the wrong way to do this.

"We don't have to do this Gary, we're both more mature than this." David removed a pair of handcuffs from his belt and tossed them down to Gary's feet. "You were a good cop once."

"And of course you're going to arrest me." Gary's head rolled to the right and his eyes narrowed. "I've spent nine years trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman who hated your daughter so much that she wanted to keep her stuck in a basement for twenty years. Obviously I'm the one that held the gun to Robbie's head, forcing him to kidnap your little girl. So you're going to arrest me and I'm going to spend the rest of my 'golden years' in prison."

"You know if you cooperate, you could get less time. Even if you use a plea bargain, or testify against Holly." He raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath. "You know the system, you know how this works."

A violent sneer spread across Gary's face as he straightened his head up. "I also know you're not as quick as you used to be." David's eyes widened as the man shoved him against the wall and struck him on the chest with an open palm. The strike took his breath from his lungs and caused him to break out in a fit of coughs. "I was always better than you David. On the job, with relationships, everything! I was the better one of us."

David's knees buckled and he tried to catch his breath, gasping out as Gary struck him in the face with his forearm. When he fell to the floor, he caught himself and winced as his heartbeat increased.

Gary's shadow fell over him. He looked up, still gasping for air as the man's eyes pierced into him. "You're just a shell of your former self, Dave." Gary knelt in front of him, his fearsome eyes seemed to burn a hole in him. "It's laughable. Those first few years, Trina would scream that her dad was going to come save her, rescue her and take her away…and here you are now, kneeling before your better."

He looked down at the ground and clenched his eyes, struggling to keep his body upright against the pain in him. "You know something, David? Holly once said she'd like to take your lifeless body and lay you down before Trina. Maybe we'll do that."

"You've changed Gary. This isn't like you, this was never like you."

Gary's hand snapped up to David's throat, forcing a gag from him. The man stood and pulled him up, then slammed him hard against the railing. "You spend nine years in a fucking hellhole and come out as you went in, David."

David brought his arm up and swung it down onto Gary's, forcing his grip to release. "Forgive me, old friend." As Gary stepped back and clutched his wrist, David threw his best punch into the man's jaw.

The adrenaline inside of him beat out the pain, and propelled him forward. He was determined to get back to his family, and nothing was going to stop him.

Gary let out an angry cry and rushed for David once more, grabbing him by the shoulders and fighting to push him over the edge. David did the same. He clenched his teeth and glared back into Gary's eyes.

Then the man slipped up, and for a split second, David saw true emotion across Gary's face. Hopelessness and self-loathing. Guilt.

"I was wrong, David. You were always stronger and better than I was." His brow furrowed as Gary's body relaxed. "I'm sorry." The man took a deep breath, then jumped to the right, throwing himself over the rails.

"No!" He reached out as if to grab the man, but to his horror, Gary had already landed. He huffed out as he watched the blood pool from his former best friend. Gary's eyes remained frozen, staring endlessly into the sky. "Goddamn it! Damn you!" He pounded the rail and fell back against the wall, screaming out in anger.

It took several minutes for him to recover. Gary's body remained in his brain, a reminder of the horror that would likely come with this day. As the nausea and anger churned inside of him, he carefully removed the radio from his belt and brought it to his lips.

"David Vega reporting in…Gary Malone is no longer an active threat. I repeat, Gary Malone has killed himself." His body trembled and tears ran down his face. As he slid down to the ground, he looked over to the stairwell. His body was still in a great deal of pain, but he was going to push forward despite this. In order to do so, he needed a moment to collect himself. "I need an officer's assistance. I am on the second floor, outside the double doors. Again, I need assistance."

He dropped the radio to the ground and stared at the railing while mentally cursing Gary. No matter how much time or how much animosity had grown between them, it was still hardest knowing that he had to fight and have a hand in killing the man that used to be his greatest friend.

Those memories now weighed heavily on his mind, and with them was the memory of their first meeting on the baseball field outside the college. A happier time, no doubt.

David struck the wall with the back of his head and closed his eyes. "Damn you." Hopefully no one else would have to deal with something like this, but then, that was partially why they advised Beck and Jade to remain outside. With Andre inside the mansion, it would be too much for them to have to fight the man. This fight confirmed that for him. "Rest easy, Gary…it's over…"

* * *

An intense fight, close call too. David truly does play the role of the wiser, older/experienced person. A good person to have around when all the others are younger, fresh detectives. Let's hope his words reach their intended person. And Gary's out.


	31. Old Enemies Meet Again

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:I wake up in the morning and I give to you the next chapter. You know, even if they don't consider Andre a bad guy, he'd still be charged with quite a few crimes-especially murder, and put in prison. Well enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 31 (Old Enemies)

She felt bad for leaving the old man behind, but hearing Krystal say that Nora was on the second floor gave Sam a deeper interest in pursuing this woman. The feeling in her gut said if she found Nora, she'd find Cat. Hearing David over the radio mention that Gary Malone was dead was bittersweet to her. On one hand it was satisfying to know that one of the three chief people they were after was no longer a threat, but knowing that he died before he could be arrested was a hard pill to swallow.

Thinking about what David and Jesse said about taking a life resonated very deeply with her. Even in the past when she'd been a troublemaker, she never once thought about taking a life, and even now she knew if she had to pull that trigger it wouldn't be a situation where she was able to second guess herself. It would be done to protect her life, or to protect one of the two girls that they were trying to rescue.

"Thank you for cooperation," she muttered while handcuffing the criminal Andrew. She had him thrown up against the wall, primarily because he did try and fight back. The man let out a grunt as she guided him out of the door. "You're under arrest, and you have the right to remain silent-I so hope you will shut up until I hand you over to the kind officers that will escort you to the patrol car."

Andrew rolled his eyes and looked off to the right as a police officer came running in their direction. So far the job hadn't been difficult. With Andrew in custody, and David reporting that Krystal was in custody, it left only two people left on the floor that she needed to worry about before getting Cat.

"Do tell me, is Catherine Valentine on this floor?"

"Fuck you bitch!"

"Not the answer I was looking for." She rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to strike the man. The officer took Andrew and she feigned a polite smile. "Good day Andrew, I'm sure you will have many opportunities in jail to fuck and be fucked." Andrew's face turned white, and a laugh escaped the officer. "By the way Officer, how is Deputy Vega?" Though retired, she still thought it was appropriate to refer to him with his honorific.

"He's a tough old man," the officer replied, "He'll be fine. He's taking a few minutes to regain his composure and is insisting on getting back into the action."

"Alright. That's good. Let the others know Andrew is in custody. So far, Tyler and Nora are the only ones confirmed to still be on this floor." She turned to leave, but stopped as a brief bout of guilt struck her. "Also, tell Deputy Vega I'm sorry for rushing off. I know he didn't want anyone separating from each other, I just have a feeling Cat is somewhere on this floor-probably with Nora."

"Yes ma'am."

She closed her eyes and brought her fingertips up to her throbbing temple. It amazed her that even after all these years, Nora was still an active force in her life. She felt like Tori did and wanted to end Nora's life today, but she thought better of it. _"As a cop, I cannot kill for revenge, no matter how angry I am."_

If she had to fight the woman, she would. Doing her job and doing it right was important to her. If she could save Cat without having to kill anyone, she would.

It is easy to take a life, but strength meant not doing so.

Sam made her way down the hallway until she came to a door that was open partway. She moved her gun up to her chest and used her free hand to push the door. Inside, a man lay sleeping on the bed. His hands were folded over his stomach and a ball cap was positioned neatly on his chest.

"And I just found Tyler." The only reason she knew was due to having been a part of the team that arrested him six years ago. "I swear he needs to get that sleeping issue resolved, he was asleep the last time we got him." She removed her handcuffs from the belt and walked to the bed, smirking as Tyler rolled onto his side. "He snores like a whimpering dog…"

She reached for him and held her hand above his body, stopping only when he sputtered in his breathing. Tyler then rolled onto his stomach, giving Sam a golden opportunity to grab his wrists and throw on the cuffs. His eyes shot open and he let out a startled cry. "What's going on! Dear god!"

"Tyler, remember me?" The man looked up and the color drained from his face. "Yeah drug addict that kidnapped that little girl, I was one of the arresting officers, right? Well congrats, you're under arrest. Again. For aiding a kidnapping." She clicked her tongue and squinted her eyes. "Again. I suggest a career change."

"Jesus Christ…" His head dropped onto the bed and Sam yanked him up to his feet.

"Thank you for making it so easy on me. I'd suggest a neurologist about that sleeping disorder you've got, but you're going to be a little cooped up for a while." She called it in on the radio, requesting an officer to retrieve the man. "While we're here, Tyler. I'd like for you to tell me what you know, if anything. Tell me about Cat Valentine's involvement? Did she commit any crimes?"

"I don't know. As far as I know, she's the one with the clean record-as trapped as the woman in the basement."

"Okay." She smiled and pat his back. "Thank you for the cooperation. Tell me about Nora…"

"Holly hired her just because of the connection to Cat." His head fell and he started to mutter. She smacked the back of his head, causing him to flinch. "Jesus…Okay, as far as I know, Nora kind of took over all of us when they killed Robbie. Also, once she found out the girl was pregnant-" Sam's heart stopped and her grip on his arm tightened, causing him to scream out in pain.

"Cat's pregnant? How is she pregnant!"

"I don't know! She just had pregnancy tests up in her room somewhere and Nora found them. I think it might be that Andre guy's kid, those two are close." She pressed her lips and looked out the door, demanding to know what room Cat was in. If the girl was pregnant, then one thing was certain, it was of utmost importance that she get her out before anything else happened. "Just keep walking that way-" He motioned his head in the right direction. "Take a left down the long hallway, and Cat's room is at the end of the corridor. _Please_ stop crushing my arm!"

"Sorry." She cleared her throat and walked him out of the room where another officer was ready to take him. Her eyes slid back into the room where the television was still on, and to her amazement the news media had already picked up on them. Tori's plan of blocking the mansion from view and keeping the media across the street worked, but it was still frustrating to see all the persons of interest on the news.

They had a picture of Trina, a picture of Holly and Gary, and were going on about the possibility that Trina was to be found alive.

"As if we need more bad news." She bolted from the door and rushed in the direction that Tyler had given her. Sweat trickled down her face as her anxious heart pounded in her chest

The closer she came to Cat's room, the more she could hear a familiar voice shouting at someone, while Cat was crying. Sam turned sideways at the door, she was bent slightly and had her gun pointing diagonally at the floor. She radioed in for backup just in case, then kicked the door on.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands into the air! Now!" She aimed at Nora's back and narrowed her eyes. Nora was standing before Cat, one fist was in the wall to the right of Cat's head, and her other hand was clutching a gun. Cat looked past Nora with wide eyes. "Nora Dershlitt. Do exactly as I say. Turn around and put the weapon on the ground."

Cat's hands rose to her mouth and her eyes clenched shut. Muffled sobs filled the air and broke Sam's heart. Her nose wrinkled as Nora started to turn.

"Samantha Puckett." Sam growled at the smug woman. "How did I know it would be you? It seems Cat held out so much hope you'd come find her." Nora brought her hand to her chin and slid her fingers along her jaw. "We were just having a little chat about the phone that I found stashed away in this room along with her pregnancy tests."

"Why are you working for Holly? Are you still obsessed about-"

"Don't get me wrong. I don't give a shit about you iCarly assholes anymore." Nora walked forward and Sam tensed while pushing the gun forward an inch.

"Do not move!"

The woman stopped and spread her arms out. "Are you going to shoot me, Sam?"

"I am going to arrest you. You're under arrest for aiding a kidnapping."

"And murder!" Cat exclaimed. Nora rolled her eyes and slowly tilted her head to the right. "She's responsible for Robbie's death. She and Holly both."

"And it's Sergeant Puckett to you, Nora." Her hands felt heavy and every impulse in her body was telling her to take the shot. "Listen, if you cooperate you could get less time maybe. Put down your weapon, put your hands behind your head."

"You're going to have to shoot me."

"I'm not going to." Nora rolled her eyes once more, then snapped her arm in Cat's direction, aiming the gun at Cat's head. The redhead screamed and Sam's eyes widened. "Nora, don't! Don't do it. Right now it's just an accessory charge. You haven't killed anyone, you don't want to go in for murder." Her chest throbbed and the adrenaline burned like wildfire in her veins. "Again, drop the weapon, Nora."

"I was hired by Holly because she wanted me to cause some sort of mental anxiety towards this chick here. More control. I did not join her because of Cat, I didn't know Cat was a part of this little crew of hers."

"Nora. I won't tell you again. Put down the weapon."

She spoke with more firmness and swept her thumb to the hammer of her gun. "Come on Sammy, you want to kill me don't you? You're just itching to do it, I know you are."

"That's where you're wrong. I haven't taken any lives while working on the police force, and I don't want to do it now."

"Even if taking a life means saving one?"

"I know when it's necessary, but it's a last resort. You don't have to die today, Nora."

Nora's head swayed to the right and her eyebrows fell flat over her eyes. "Do you know what happened to my parents? My father died in prison, and my mother went crazy-she killed another inmate and is now in maximum security. I have no siblings, I have no friends to go back to. For all intents and purposes, I have no life and do not exist. I'm just a name on a list…"

The woman turned her gun away from Cat, then aimed for Sam. "I'd love a life outside of prison, but that's never going to happen. I've dealt with you two times before, Sam. Today will be the last time I deal with you."

"Nora…"

"Goodbye." Nora pulled the trigger and Sam felt a sudden pain strike her torso. She fell to the ground and Cat cried out in terror. Her hand moved up to the vest she was wearing and she peered down with a gasp while Nora approached. "Fuck it, I forgot the police would be wearing those stupid things. Should have aimed for your head instead."

As the woman's shadow fell over her, a sense of fear struck her and the survival instinct kicked in. Tears flooded her eyes as she threw her gun upwards and emptied her clip. Nora's body jerked back and shook as blood rushed from her body.

"S-Shit…"

Sam froze, whimpering as she watched the woman fall to the ground. It was a necessary kill, but the sight of Nora's blood drenched body sickened her. She turned her head away, groaning as the nausea spun violently inside of her.

Cat rushed to her side and threw her arms around her, sobbing frantically. "Sam, I'm so sorry Sam." Sam hugged Cat back and kept her mournful eyes on Nora. Her skin turned white and clammy, and her lips trembled while the image burned into her mind.

She understood now what Jesse and David had said earlier. "It's terrible feeling. Oh god." Her body shook and her hand moved up over her eyes. Two officers rushed into the room and looked from her to the body. "Okay…there's still more work to be done."

"What are your orders, Sergeant?"

Sam tried to stand, but nearly fell over again when she looked at the body. Cat put her arm around her to help steady her. She shook her head and turned to the girl. "Cat, we can't take you out just yet because it's not safe. Stay with these officers." Cat's lips closed and she replied with a firm nod. "Also. You're pregnant?"

"I am. It's Andre's. He and I, well it's complicated…"

"Have you sustained any injuries?"

"N-No. Nora didn't get around to hitting me yet…" Sam's hand moved to her stomach and she let out a soft groan. "Trina's in the basement, but you have to go through the kitchen. The last I heard from Andre, he was standing guard there."

"Andre. He's been the subject of a lot of anxiety, you know." Cat's brow furrowed and her lips fell into a deep frown. "Just whose side is he one?"

"Everything he's done lately…has been done to get Trina and myself out of here. He's not on Holly's side."

"Thank you, Cat." Sam wiped away the sweat on her forehead and her neck, then turned to the officers. "I want you two to remain on this floor with Cat. I need to press ahead and make sure the others are clear." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "When we find Trina and have cleared the mansion, we will signal you. For now, it's safest here-there are still criminals around that might try and attack if they saw us taking Cat out."

"Yes ma'am," the officers replied.

"Sam? Am I in trouble?" Sam titled her head back and let her body fall with a sigh.

"You're not being charged yet, but you'll still have to undergo trial." Fortunately there was evidence as well as statements to prove Cat was under duress, so it would truly help. "I think everything's going to be okay. I'll be back for you."

Before she could leave the room, Cat blurted out one last tidbit of startling information. "Trina might be pregnant." Sam's hand landed on the door frame and her body froze. She looked over her shoulder and felt her heart's pounding grow violent.

"What?"

"That date with Jesse. She lost herself in the same feeling that I had with Andre. Safety, security…Andre snuck out and got a pregnancy test, it came out positive."

"Fuck! I need to tell the others." The level of urgency just increased tenfold. Jesse and Tori weren't going to like hearing this, but it had to be done. Sam grabbed her radio and fled the room. "I'll be back."

* * *

Cat's safe, and that's what matters, but Sam will never forget this day. She was forced to make that call. Well, the next chapter will be back to Tori. Tell me your thoughts of this chapter.


	32. Revenge Versus Justice

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: By the way, listen to "The Fight" by The Rasmus-excellent song and fits these chapters.

Also to answer the anonymous person's questions (For future reference though, please if you've got serious questions, sign in so I can answer in a message for you). The actual raid is just about over here, the next chapter will be the last of the raid. Of course as with anything there's still the aftermath. Even with this raid, not everything is cleared up. Rick is still in a coma, and there's still a trial to get through. So there's definitely an "aftermath". As for a sequel. I don't know yet, I feel like I could do one involving the children many years down the line but without all the drama that this story has of course. But I don't know. Without further ado, enjoy the chapter.

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Chapter 32 (Revenge Versus Justice)

"I'm going to head towards the kitchen." Tori waved Jesse off as he made his way to the stairwell. Sam's information stunned them, and of course they were still recovering. With that news, Tori figured it was best that she continue to pursue Holly while Jesse went to get Trina out of the basement. "Whenever you find that woman, Tori, don't lose control."

"Just go get my sister." A wrinkle poked from between her eyebrows and she quickly turned to peer down the hallway. There was a room nearby with a foot sticking out of the door. She prepped herself for a potential ambush and walked along the wall towards the door.

Tori poked her head into the room and was stunned by the blood splattered walls. There was a pool table covered in bloody prints. The body that lay in front of her was of a man in his twenties, easily recognizable to her as Leonard. Now she was certain this was Andre's work, but she hadn't seen any sign of the man on any of the floors.

"Andre and Holly are both on this floor, I presume." To her left, she could see a bridge pool stick, it was painted red with blood. "And there's the murder weapon." She stepped over the pool stick and brought the radio to her lips. "Third floor, the escaped convict Leonard has been found murdered in the billiards room. I need officers on this. Key suspect is Andre Harris. Apprehend on sight."

Walking down the long corridor, Tori's mind was filled with many childhood memories. She cherished every memory of Trina, of the two of them playing together in the yard or chasing each other on the playground at the park. For every pleasant memory she had, there was the added pain of having her sister taken from her by someone that Tori trusted, and this only deepened the hatred she had inside of her.

"Holly Malone, I know you're on this level! Come out now. Gary is dead, Nora's gone, and near all of your criminals have been apprehended. You're surrounded." She turned the corner and aimed her gun down the long hall, but growled when she saw it was empty. "Don't think you're protected up here, I will find you…"

Jesse wasn't here to keep her in check. All the criminals they found had been apprehended, but she had nothing against them.

She slid to a closed door and held her breath for a long moment. "Okay." She exhaled and moved in front of the door, then delivered a powerful kick that shoved it open. There were two people beneath the covers in a bed, they screamed and raised their hand as Tori focused her gun on them.

"Are you kidding me?" She wrinkled her nose and scoffed in disgust at the man and woman. "How the fuck can you be having sex during this? Get out of the bed now." The criminals exited quietly, and to her relief, they had their underwear on. "Do not move, do not reach for your clothes."

It wasn't being harsh so much as police protocol would not allow her to allow them to reach for their clothes. As she was trained, a suspect could have a weapon hidden anywhere.

She cuffed the two and waited for officers to take them away before she left. "Probably explains how they didn't know Leonard was busy getting sacked up here."

Her heart beat slowly as she approached the end of the current hallway. At first she was beginning to fear Holly wasn't on this floor after all or escaped, but she had to cover every inch just to make sure.

When she made it to the final room at the furthest end of the hallway, her breathing grew shallow. Holly was inside, her back was turned to the door and her gaze was focused out the window. Tori's body began to rise as the drum in her chest grew stronger.

She holstered her gun and the upper corner of her lip twitched. The flames of hatred licked at her heels and once she stepped into the room, the fire burned with greater intensity. Tori shoved her gun into her holster and hovered her hands beside her thighs. Her fingers curled like claws and the veins in her hand bugled as though trying to force their way out of her skin.

The image of Rick on the hospital bed plagued and destroyed her, and the recent news of Trina's second pregnancy during captivity only fueled the rage inside of her. She took another step forward and flared her nostrils. Her eyebrows dipped down in the center as Holly peered over her shoulder.

"Tori, sweetie, have you come to visit your mother?" Holly turned around and Tori scoffed.

"First. I want to know why you did it. Why did you take my sister? Why did you betray us?" Making eye contact with the woman's nonchalant gaze fanned the fire in her soul. "Trina never did anything wrong."

"Trina was born to a bitch that gained your father's full attention. He never paid attention to me, and he surely loved Trina more than he loved you." Holly reached out to caress Tori's cheek. "I always loved you, my baby girl." Tori swat at Holly's wrist, forcing her hand away.

"Don't touch me." She circled the woman and closed her fists. "You're going to pay for the shit that you've done."

"She was never your sister, Tori. She was that bastard's daughter, but she was never your sister. You must understand how he loved her more than you." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "But you stayed with him even after the divorce. Why? Your mommy will always love you baby."

"Oh shut up. You've taken too much from me as it is. Even my lover is in a coma because of you." Holly's eyebrow rose and Tori chuckled vainly. "The car you ran off the freeway? Rick was driving. He's the only man I've ever loved that has loved me back, and now?" Her chest burst with pain and her body trembled. "Now I don't know if he's going to live or die."

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't know." She was waiting for the opportune moment. Every ounce of her body burned with adrenaline and disgust, and the longer she had to stare at this woman, the worse it became.

She knew the law wouldn't worry about police brutality or 'forcing a confession' in this instance, there was enough proof and evidence that said this woman was a dangerous threat. Whatever happened in this room, the law was on her side.

Tori cracked her neck and breathed out slowly, her right hand hovered over the pistol at her hip. "It doesn't matter whether you knew it or not." The frown lines around her lips deepened and she parted her mouth to take in a small breath. "You took a shot at me out there."

"It was just a warning shot. I couldn't hurt my baby girl." Holly walked towards the bed and Tori watched as the woman reached for the handgun. "I love you Tori. I want us to be together forever, in life and in death. Your mama will always be there for you."

Tori's eyes widened as Holly swept the gun through the air and pulled the trigger. Instinctively she bolted to the right and turned up her head. Her lips curved into a smirk as Holly froze. It was the moment she was waiting for.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Tori rushed forward, grabbing her mother by the throat and throwing her head into the window with powerful force. Holly screamed out as Tori yanked her back and slammed her hard against the wall. The woman was lightweight, to the point it was like throwing a ragdoll around.

"Get this through your head." Tori clamped her hands around Holly's neck and leaned forward, glaring into her eyes. "You are not my mother." Holly's brow furrowed and a whimper fell from her trembling lips. "Maybe you gave birth to me, but you will never be my mother. I want nothing more to do with you, and I will have nothing more to do with you."

Holly gasped for air as Tori proceeded to crush the woman's windpipe. She was amazed at how weak the woman had become over the years, to the point that it was almost like swatting a fly.

"T-Tori, you can't mean that baby."

"Quit calling me that!" She threw Holly back and released her, letting the woman fall onto the ground and roll into the metal leg of the bed. The rage inside of her boiled out of control as she slammed her foot hard into Holly's side.

Holly threw her hand up, scratching at Tori's wrist and pulling her hard onto her back. She opened her eyes just as the woman flung herself on top and thrust a couple punches into her face.

"You do not treat your mother that way! You do not talk to your mother that way! I will teach you manners, but only because I love you."

"Get the fuck off me!" Tori's right hand balled up into a fist and she threw it hard into Holly's stomach. The woman fell to the ground and clutched her side, moaning painfully.

There was a hoarseness to Holly's voice now, and from what it sounded like, her breathing was shallow. It could be a direct result from the prior strangulation.

She grabbed Holly by the hair and pulled her up, then shoved the woman into the wall with all her strength. She kept her cheek pressed against it and leaned forward. Seeing the knife in Holly's pocket, she was struck with an idea. "This is for Trina and for Rick."

Holly's eyes widened as Tori removed the knife and slashed it along her thigh, purposely slicing the sciatic nerve. The woman collapsed onto the ground and cried out in pain.

"Why would you do this to your mother! Why!"

"I hate you." She removed her pistol and aimed it towards Holly's face. Holly froze on the spot and started to whimper. The fear in her eyes gave Tori a moment of hesitation.

She fought to pull the trigger, but couldn't do it. Her father's words pressed into her brain and she thought about Rick. He wouldn't want this, and neither would Trina. If she pulled the trigger, then she was no better than Holly was.

This wasn't justice, this was revenge. Revenge was murder. Yes Gary died, and Nora had been killed, but neither David nor Sam wanted the death to happen.

Her chest trembled and tears ran from her eyes as Holly looked up at her. "Tori honey? Will you kill your own mother?"

"Shut up." She closed her eyes and groaned, feeling disgusted with herself for having let her own emotions interfere with doing her job right. "Goddamn you, shut up."

She holstered her gun then reached down, turning Holly onto her stomach. The woman winced as Tori grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back. "Holly Malone you're under arrest for the kidnapping of Katrina Vega and Catherine Valentine. You're under arrest for the murders of Robert and Rebecca Shapiro, as well as the murder of William Valentine. You have a right to shut up, so please use it. You will be given an attorney should you not be able to afford one. Whatever you say or do _will_ be used against you in the court of law."

Tori pulled Holly up and walked her over to the bed, she was going to use the medical supplies she had on her to bandage up the cut on Holly's thigh, but that was it. "Why can't I feel my legs, dear?"

"Your sciatic nerve is cut, you won't be walking again." She set the woman down and crossed her arms. "And for the last time, you are not my mother. I disown you, Holly. Once you're charged and thrown in prison, you will_ never_ see me, Trina, Victoria, or dad ever again. I'm going to make sure of that."

"Why don't you kill me?"

"Because then, I'd be no better than you." When she turned around, she saw her father in the doorway. Her eyes widened and David flashed a proud smile. "D-Dad?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," David replied. He walked into the room and looked around before stopping his gaze on Holly. She followed his gaze and cleared his throat.

She didn't know how long he'd been standing there, watching, but partially she was grateful. "You were making sure I wasn't going to kill her, weren't you?" Holly growled at them, but both officers ignored the woman. "But...you knew I wouldn't do it."

Jesse's voice came over the radio, he sounded overwhelmed and desperate. "I need backup in the basement! Now! I've got three guns trained on us outside this cell door, someone get down here!"

"You're a good investigator, and a better person than the person who kills for revenge. As I said before, taking a life will always haunt you, and eventually you will have to make that call-today doesn't have to be that day." David put his hand to Tori's shoulder, then pulled her into a hug. "I'm proud of you Tori, you made the right decision. Now, go help Jesse and get your sister. I'll stand watch over Holly until the officers arrive to get her."

"Thanks dad…"

* * *

An intense chapter and fight, do tell me your thoughts on everything that happened.


	33. The Guardian's Release

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 33 (The Guardian's Release)

Andre poked his head into the basement, he was breathing heavily and soaked in blood. Downstairs, he could see the three criminals that had been waiting in the kitchen. Hector, Jeremy and Ralph were aiming their guns on the cell door, waiting for Jesse to open the door. "So fucking close." Andre looked towards the pistol he grabbed off Leonard's body and felt the blood in his body pulsating in swift rivets.

"I am going to die today, not her." He removed his gun and stepped fully in the doorway, aiming down at the three men. "I picked a fine time to run out of blow darts." He pulled back the hammer and aimed for the strongest looking man. "Three shots…all I need…"

Without hesitation he pulled the trigger and watched as an explosion of blood burst from the back of Hector's head. Ralph and Jeremy spun around and began firing shots. On instinct he leapt to the side, but felt a stinging sensation in his gut. He pressed his back against the wall and pushed his hand to his right side, groaning as fresh blood rushed through his fingers.

"Son of a bitch that hurts!" He clenched his teeth and screamed out. "Motherfuckers!" He turned his head to the side and brought his gun up to his chest. "Ralph! Jeremy! Ceasefire immediately! It's over, the mansion has been taken."

"It's not over by a long shot!" Jeremy screamed. "We're ordered to stand guard. If Holly falls, we're to kill the captive. Plain and simple." He removed his belt, then his shirt, working fast to press it against the gunshot wound. He then wrapped the belt around the shirt and his stomach, and pulled it as tight as he could.

"You're making a big mistake guys." He leaned into view and fired another shot into the darkened basement. Ralph dropped his gun and let out a powerful scream. "Oh I'm sorry, did I shoot your ass?"

"Kill the bastard, Jeremy!" Ralph bent over to grab his gun and Jeremy fired another shot. Andre bolted out of sight just as the bullet rushed past his hair. His heart began pounding and all the wounds on his body left over from his fight with Leonard were now pumping fresh blood. He didn't have long before he bled out.

"This is the end of the line for you two. You're the last ones left, everyone else on the list has been apprehended. You've lost, the fight is over." He stepped into view and fired another shot, this time striking Jeremy in the crevice between his collarbones. Jeremy collapsed to the floor, his hand flew over the wound and his body began convulsing.

Ralph leaned up and fired another shot. Andre felt a burning pain in his right leg, and his right knee started to buckle. "Shit!" He stepped out of the way and sucked in through his teeth while looking down at his wound. The bullet wasn't embedded, but it tore a small chunk of his leg from his body. "Come on Ralph. It's just me and you now. You should know backup is coming, and you're going to die. Do you want to die, Ralph?"

"I'm not going back to jail." Ralph began ascending the stairs, which was exactly what Andre wanted. He took this moment to flee the kitchen, which wasn't easy to do with a bad leg.

"I'm afraid you don't have much choice. Neither do I."

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

His eyes flew to the window of the front room. He could see Jade with her back turned, she was talking to the officers that surrounded her. Beck was standing in front of her as well, nodding to whatever it was she was saying.

A wave of guilt and nostalgia struck him, and his muscles started to relax as he slowly approached the window. "I'm making my final stand, Ralph." The things he'd done were unforgivable, but he'd more than atoned for all his crimes. Still, he killed a man in cold blood, even though it was out of revenge. _"I've become a monster. How could I ever face Beck, Jade, or even Tori?"_

No, he'd planned this for the longest time. Now with Jade standing where she was, the perfect opportunity had presented himself.

He bent over and ran his hand over the wound on his leg, then hissed as a shockwave of pain vibrated from his touch. Andre turned his head over his shoulder where Ralph was standing with his gun aimed on him.

"You're not going anywhere, Andre. I'll kill you here."

"You haven't earned that right, Ralphie." Ralph raised an eyebrow as Andre's head rolled to the side and his lips stretched into a smirk. "You've not earned the right to kill me-however you have earned the right to go to hell. See you soon."

"Wha-" Andre twitched his arm up and aimed the gun to Ralph, pulling the trigger without hesitation. Ralph's eyes widened and he fell against the wall. Blood pumped out of the man's right cheekbone.

"Sorry man, but like I said, the fight is over."

He took a deep breath and made his way to the window. He cocked his gun and closed his eyes. There was only one way he was going to achieve his final goal of the day, and it was by force. Trina was safe now, as was Cat, so his job was finished.

_"I'm coming Dad. Tell Miles, Louie, Mom and Olivia…Grandma too…I'm coming."_

"Forgive me for this." He used all his strength to push himself through the window, startling all of the officers present. His left arm swung around Jade's throat and he extended his gun out to the others. "Nobody fucking move!" Jade's hands flew up to his arm and Beck's jaw fell open.

"Andre? Andre what are you doing?"

Andre pointed the gun to Beck and narrowed his eyes. "It's been a long time, Beck. Not a day has gone by I haven't wondered how you've been doing." Beck cleared his throat and brought his left palm up while hovering his right hand over his gun.

"Andre, let my wife go. It doesn't have to be like this, man."

"The hell it doesn't." He knew what would happen after this, and he didn't want to give Cat the pain and anguish of having to see him go on trial. "You don't know what shit I've done, the shit I'm capable of. Murder, robbery-I was even the one that killed Robbie. Gunned him down on the spot." He feigned a malicious sneer and narrowed his eyes. "You think I won't do that right here? Right now?"

"He's bluffing!" Jade screamed. Andre rolled his eyes and shot a glare to the woman.

"Please tell me you haven't become the optimistic one over the last nine years." The Jade he remembered would be telling Beck to shoot him. He knew Beck wouldn't do it willingly. "Now shut up and be a good hostage." He didn't need her trying to persuade Beck not to pull that gun. The other officers started making motions with their own weapons, so he aimed the gun on them. "None of you make any movements. This is between me, and my former best friend."

Jade turned her head up and tried to kick back, but Andre had his legs spread apart so she couldn't strike him. "Andre, why are you doing this? You don't need to do this, we can help you."

"Jade. Shut up. Now." He growled out his words and tightened his grip around her neck. He mainly wanted to keep her quiet, hurting her was the last thing he wanted. "All that matters is the two women in there are safe. Now, Beck, you'd better shoot me. If you don't shoot me, I'm going to shoot your wife."

He was thrilled to see that the two were married now, of course he saw it coming years before. Beck removed the gun from his hip and Jade screamed for him to keep it holstered. She wanted to talk him out of this insanity, but his mind was made up.

"Beck please, he's not going to do it. He isn't going to do it, I know he won't. Just talk to him, please talk to him and keep your gun lowered."

"What part of you makes you believe I'm not capable of killing you right now?" He began to pale and turned his eyes down to the two bullet wounds on his body. _"I've lost a lot of blood. Jesus."_

"I don't want to shoot you," Beck spoke with a soft urgency in his voice. Andre's gaze shifted to him and his lips pulled back into a deeper frown. "Please Andre, let her go. We were friends once, I don't want or need your blood on my hands."

"I'm going to die one way or another, Beck. I'm a sick dog, and there is only one person in this world I want putting me down. That's you." He watched the lump in Beck's throat fall, then narrowed his eyes. "I've been shot in the stomach, and in the leg. I've been cut, throttled, and somehow I still stand. Whatever part of you thinks I'm not going to kill Jade right now, I'd like for you to forget it."

"It doesn't have to be like this!"

"It does, Beck. You don't understand. It does." Of course he wouldn't kill Jade, but he needed Beck to believe he would. Andre pressed the nozzle of the gun to Jade's left temple and swept his finger across the safety in a way he hoped nobody would see him clicking it on.

"Andre don't!" He could see the sweat trickling down Beck's face. Beck's chest was moving erratically and a vein was bulging from his neck. "Let her go, please!" Jade held her breath and closed her eyes.

"Hey Beck. You remember the Saturday night before I went away?" Beck furrowed his brow and Andre started to smile.

"Yeah. We went to that festival with Tori, and you said you wanted to find the girls."

"I thought I had a lead. Turns out I did. Holly forced me to kill, some of the killings I enjoyed doing. The criminals that I've killed in the last month? I enjoyed those. I just killed Leonard for what he did to my sister-enjoyed it."

"Andre…"

"I'm not the same person I once was, Beck. I can't live with the guilt that I have over the things I've done. I know they won't keep me in prison long because I was forced to do a lot of shit. Seeing you again…I remember all the things we used to do growing up, but I also remember a lot of negativity."

"Man, it's over. It's in the past."

"I don't know how we got away with half the shit we did." He laughed bitterly and winced as his leg started to grow numb. "Lying to Trina's dad several times over the years, even lying to Tori. We didn't respect that family, and Holly took advantage of that fact. She thought we hated Trina as much as she did, but none of us did. I-I made sure Cat wasn't forced to do anything. Cat did nothing, she's clean-she's pure, perfect."

Beck's eyebrows meshed together and Jade bowed her head.

"I love that woman, man. Trina and Victoria too. They deserve happiness, they don't deserve a constant reminder of the pain they've suffered-and that's all I am to them. All I would be. You'll have to kill me, Beck. Please."

"Andre, I'm not going to do that."

"It's what I want!" Beck flinched as his voice bellowed into the open sky. Beck pressed his lips together and Andre's glare sharpened. "I'm not asking permission. I'm telling my best friend to do this. I know it's not easy, and I swear to god, I will kill your wife if it makes you shoot me."

"He's still bluffing," Jade muttered.

"Oh for god sake shut up, Jade." Still with the safety on, he pushed her down to the ground and aimed the gun at her. Her eyes widened and her hands flew in front of her face.

"Goddamn it!" Beck rushed forward and wrapped an arm around Andre's neck. Andre looked into Beck's eyes as his friend pulled him into a one armed hug and pressed the nose of the gun to Andre's chest. His body flinched as a bullet tore through him. "Why Andre?" Jade trembled and a sob broke from her quivering lips. "Why did you make me do it?"

"Because you were my best friend. My only friend, the last person in this world I had left." He dropped to his knees and fell onto his back. Beck knelt beside him and Jade pulled herself up to bury her face into her husband's shoulder. "I love you man…thank you…"

A smile grew on his face as Beck dropped his head and let the tears flow. He heard a startled cry echo through the sky and turned his head sideways. Cat and Trina were standing in the doorway with Jesse, Sam, and Tori.

Cat ran to his side, crying his name and throwing her arms around him. His hand moved to her back and her eyes met his. "It was always going to end this way, Cat. Don't cry for me. Be strong."

"I-I need you Andre. I should have told you before, I'm pregnant. Andre please…" His heart flickered and he let out a soft groan. He wasn't sure that information would have changed much, he still would likely have gone to prison either for a short term or the rest of his life.

"Be a strong mother then. You're safe, and that's all that matters…I'm sorry." He saw David walking out with Holly and a few officers. Holly was in a wheelchair, her hands were cuffed and her face was bent downwards, letting her hair shroud her face.

For a moment, he thought he saw his parents, siblings and grandmother standing nearby. They were waiting to take him to the other side. His hand moved over Cat's, and he smiled at the girl.

His wish to see Cat and Trina safe had come true, and with that, he closed his eyes to relish in the final moments of his life.

* * *

Show of hands who saw that coming? Yeah, I didn't think so. I'd like to point out to the anon reviewer whose only comment was "there is no bade in this, btw": Don't be an idiot and try reading-not only are they the _supporting characters_, but the story in itself is obviously not meant to have full blown romantic moments. Beck and Jade are a married couple who love each other, they have two kids (and will have a third on the way). A story like this, moments of love are constantly present with couples but they're made up of those subtle moments such as cuddling, holding hands, and so on. There's plenty of "bade", and as much as is needed for a supporting married couple!

Now, aside from that, this chapter was about Andre. The girls are finally safe, and he has made true his final wish, the last thing he saw was their being safely led out of the mansion. This chapter was intense, he took on the role of the judge, jury and executioner for so many including himself, and of course he has a guilt complex. It's a bit of a sad chapter though

watch?v=-lF-oouxH8Q


	34. Reuniting Mother and Daughter

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Abil you're right, but I wanted Andre to go out in his best friend's arms-which was why I had Beck and Jade present. However, my intentions probably would have called for a shot in a different area, but I could have had Andre simply bleed out as well. There are many ways that scene could have gone indeed. Without further ado my readers, enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 34 (Reuniting Mother and Daughter)

The backseat of the van felt crowded, as Tori was in the back between Cat and her sister. Trina's head was on her shoulder and her hand was clutching hers firmly. She'd never seen Trina so traumatized in her life, but she was happy to finally have her sister out. "We're almost home Trina. You'll get to see Victoria soon." She put her arm around Trina's shoulder and kissed the girl on her temple. "You know who else you're going to get to see?"

"Who?" Trina's eyes darted up and she smiled sadly.

"Monica." Trina looked up with confusion while Cat raised an eyebrow. "Your birth mom." The woman's jaw fell open and her head rose sharply. "She and Dad met up a few weeks ago, they're really hitting it off."

"I can't believe it. I…I never thought I'd get to see her." Trina's head bowed and tears lined up at her eyes. "Cat was the one trying to tell me to be optimistic. I didn't think you, much less Jade, would be trying so hard to even look for me." Tori chuckled softly and glanced to the middle row of seats in the van. Beck, Jade and Jesse were seated there.

Jade twisted partially and hung her arm over the chair. Her eyes were misty and her face long, very likely the girl still wasn't over having been used in Andre's death. "I should ask why you think I wouldn't push so hard to find you, but I understand." She reached out to Trina and waited for the girl to take her hand. When she did, Jade smiled reassuringly and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry for the way we were in high school, Trina. Believe me when I say it's good to have you back."

"Thanks." Trina pulled her hand away and turned her head to the window. Tori looked in the rearview mirror with a confident smile, their van was blocked by squad cars in the front, back and either side of them. The news vans were out of sight. "Congratulations on your marriage…About Andre, he was a good guy. We wanted him to make it out too." She bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I don't want him to be remembered as a bad guy. He did everything he could to protect us."

"We will try to remember him that way," Tori answered, "I can't say the same about the news media. I imagine we'll tell them he was responsible in our finding you." In a way, Andre was responsible. If Rick and Jesse hadn't followed Holly to the mansion, the phone call from Andre would have told them exactly where to go regardless.

"There will be a lot of activity for a while," Jesse remarked with a shrug. Trina looked up as he turned back to her. "Social media, the news…of course this reached national. Just like those girls back in 2013." She was going to do everything she could to protect Trina from the throes of the media, especially social media.

"Facebook is long gone now, but of course there's a new thing that replaced Facebook and Twitter. A networking site called _Wallspeak_, but for the record Trina, I'd personally like you to stay off of it." Trina pursed her lips and Cat jerked her head back in surprise. "If you get on a networking site like that, the people will start bombarding you and intruding into your life just because you've made national attention."

Trina's nose crinkled and she shook her head from side to side. "Ugh…Maybe you're right, I don't want a bunch of people I don't know asking me questions. I remember Facebook from years ago…I wonder if my account is still active."

"Doubtful." Facebook shut down about five years ago, many inactive accounts were purged. "Even if it was, I would suggest deactivating it." She didn't want to start regulating and pressuring Trina, but some stability in her life would be important right now.

"Well, regardless of all that, I just want to see my little girl right now." Trina pulled her knees up and hugged them against her body. "I've been without Victoria for too long." Trina inhaled slowly and turned back to Tori. "You know, Gary's the reason Victoria survived." Tori opened her mouth in surprise and saw her father look back from the front seat.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean that when I was pregnant with Victoria, Holly wanted to kill her…She didn't want me to complete my term." Tori's heart broke as she listened to her sister's trembling voice. "Gary did everything he could to convince Holly that I should have my baby. After that, he and Andre were the ones that ended up making sure Victoria survived everything. She's alive because of them."

"Seems like we could have helped them," Beck muttered, "At least Andre. We could have gotten him some help." The thoughts going through Tori's mind were against Andre, as grateful as she was that he did what he could to help Trina and Cat, she didn't feel like he would have made it out of that mansion and into a life of freedom. He would have gone straight to prison, and most likely he would have received a life sentence.

She leaned her head back against the seat and let her shoulders fall. "Maybe he didn't want you two to deal with watching him go through trial." Cat and Trina turned their heads to her. "He may have had a hand in saving the two of you, and you're emotionally connected to him for that reason, but the law and media would have torn him apart."

Even though they finally rescued them, it was understandably difficult for everyone to be thrilled or excited. Nobody had dry eyes, and everyone was happy, but the gravity of everything was still sinking in. They went in with the intention of arresting all those involved, but those that died weighed heavily on them, and of course Andre's death hit them the hardest.

When they found the gun Andre had was on safety, Beck and Jade broke down and couldn't stop bawling for what seemed an eternity. Tori herself had very little reaction, primarily because of all her anger at the man. Even now, she was still processing the things that Cat and Trina said he'd done to protect them.

For their sake, she was happy she didn't run into him. If it had been her, she might have shot him without a second thought. It frightened her how close she came to becoming a monster. If she had taken that shot, if she killed Holly, then it very likely would have destroyed her.

"I'm glad to have you back, Trina. I just wish Rick was able to see you." Trina pursed her lips and the others in the car frowned. "He is my boyfriend, and a fellow detective. I was too proud to tell anyone because I'm sick of people butting into my personal life, but…he was going to propose."

"What happened to him?"

"We caught Holly," Jesse answered, "Or at least we saw her and followed her to the mansion. She followed us back, ran us off the road." Tori looked to the side and Trina's eyes grew tremendously. "He's in a coma right now. The doctors say he'll wake up, the question everyone's asking now is 'when?'"

Tori figured she needed to hold out hope. If this experience taught her anything, it was that holding out hope for something positive to happen was better than expecting nothing.

Trina's hand constricted around Tori's and her eyebrows fell flat. "I um, I know Sinjin's moved on, by the way." She raised an eyebrow at her sister, then looked towards Cat as though expecting the redhead to have the answer. "Somehow Andre and Robbie found out. Is he at least happy?"

"As far as I can tell. Yeah." She didn't know for certain, but he didn't seem to question his relationship. "I didn't tell him about Victoria yet, Trina. I don't think he even knows we found you." Trina's jaw dropped and Jesse glanced back with a frown.

"Why didn't you tell him about his daughter or about Trina?" She curled her hair over her ear and shrugged.

"I was going to leave it in Trina's hands. He's engaged to Haley, a woman that was cruel to us back in high school. She doesn't like kids very much, it seems." Trina's eyes fell and her muscles tightened. "Tri?"

"I'd like to talk about this later," Trina replied calmly, "I want to be with Jesse, and I am pregnant with Jesse's baby." Jesse's lips curled up a slight bit and Trina's gaze drifted to him. "I think Victoria likes Jesse because she knows him where she doesn't know Sinjin. Still…I feel like she ought to at least know who her real father is. M-Maybe I should talk to Haley first, though. I don't want to do anything if she's anything like Holly."

"That's understandable." She saw her home down the street and smiled at Monica and Victoria standing in the front yard. Victoria was clutching her grandmother's hand and leaning forward on her toes. "Trina, look in front of us."

Trina moved her hand up over her mouth and broke into a fit of tears when she spotted her daughter. "She looks so beautiful, so happy…"

"She's eager to see you."

The car came to a stop at the curb and the others in the vehicle looked towards Trina. "I think we'll let you three out first," David suggested. Tori rolled her eyes and smiled at him before motioning for Cat to open the door. Cat pushed the door out and was the first to step outside.

Tori scooted over and placed a hand over Trina's. She met the woman's anxious gaze and smiled warmly at her. "Are you ready?" Trina held her breath and gazed out.

"I-I never thought I'd see freedom again. I never thought I'd see my daughter again, much less meet my own birth mom."

"I know. It's a lot to take in, I bet."

Trina reached forward, hugging Tori's neck tightly and weeping into her shoulder. "I love you, sis." The gesture brought her to tears of her own and compelled her to take her sister into her arms.

"I love you too." She leaned back and slid her hands along Trina's upper arms and shoulder. "There will be plenty of time for us to catch up. Your daughter has been waiting for a month now, let's not keep her waiting any longer."

"Yeah…and Monica too, my mother-I was supposed to meet her all those years ago."

"And now you can." Tori motioned for her to follow as she exited the vehicle and stepped to the right. Her heart burst with pride when she saw Victoria's tearful eyes meet with her mother's. The minute Trina emerged, Victoria broke from Monica and ran for Trina, crying joyously.

Trina fell to her knees and caught Victoria in her arms, weeping with the child. Monica walked over and set her hand to Trina's shoulder, earning a quick look from the woman. With that gesture, Trina stood and hugged her birth mom close. Victoria threw her arms around both women, and all three continued to weep.

Tori was moved to tears and looked away in an attempt to keep from an intense cry. Her heart screamed for joy, and the tears were already falling.

There was still more work to be done, and one hell of a trial was coming up. She didn't want to pressure Trina just yet, but she would have to know if both Trina and Cat would be able to testify in court against Holly.

While looking back to the trio, she lamented over the heavy questions she'd have to ask. They could wait, for now she didn't want to ruin such a beautiful moment.

* * *

Indeed the story does not end here. There are still many questions to be answered-including more surprises along the way. The trial is also something that must happen.


	35. Tornado

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: There's a lot that happens in this chapter, and I couldn't think of a chapter title, haha. Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 35 (Tornado)

"I got them, Rick." Tori cupped her hand over Rick's strong hand and brought her forehead to rest on them. "I saved them-Trina and Cat. You were right, I didn't give up." Her heart throbbed painfully as she turned her gaze to his face. She took a deep breath and held back a sob. "I'd give anything to see you wake up right now."

He would be proud of her for the work she did, especially in that she didn't give in to her desire for revenge. "Holly will stand trial, and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets capital punishment." Her fingers curled around his hand and she kissed him with trembling lips. "I love you"

She studied the small box on the counter beside his bed and her heart continued to break. She wasn't going to touch the ring until he woke up, but she had time to think about the answer to a question she wanted more than anything for him to ask. "I…I'd love to be your wife, Rick."

All of the anger she bore was still present, and even though she hadn't killed Holly, there was a large part of her that still wanted to tear her throat out.

Tori swept his hair away from his forehead and mustered a small smile. "They asked about us. My dad, Jade, and everyone else. They know about us, and it wasn't as nerve-wracking as I thought. You were right, they're not intruding like I thought." She had Trina to thank for that, simply because everyone was now focusing on the woman and making her feel comfortable. "I do wish I told them sooner, I just-I didn't care for any unsolicited advice of theirs."

Much of her anger was now directed at herself for having been too proud to tell anyone else, and now she was scared he wouldn't make it. "It isn't fair. It isn't fair that I should lose one person important to me when I finally get my sister back."

The door to the room opened and Tori looked back to see Cat shuffling in. "Tori?" She sat upright and wiped her wet face with a tissue. "I hope it's okay that I bring my family here." She could see no reason not to, and at this point, she didn't want to be alone.

"Sure Cat."

Cat's parents and siblings walked in, all looking from her to Rick with sympathetic eyes. Abigail spoke up as though she were the spokesperson for the family. "Thank you. Thank you for bringing Cat to us." Her lips curved slightly and she shrugged.

"It's what I do. My job. I'm glad to do it." She was aware of the promise Jade made to them, and while she wouldn't have approved at the time, she was glad the family had that hope. "I'm sorry that not everyone is able to see her safe."

Cat's mother stood behind the girl and put her arms around her daughter's neck, hugging her tight. "At least I know she's okay. Nona and Will are looking down with smiles." Tori nodded and turned her head to Rick. She moved her hand over his and let her eyes drop while listening the beeps of the heart monitor. "He'll pull through, I believe it."

"I hope so."

"You can't lose that faith," Abigail remarked, "You can't give up." She moved her head back and closed her eyes. "You never gave up, and our sisters both are saved."

"It isn't so easy when it's something you can't fight." She was grateful for Abigail's words of encouragement, but it was difficult for her to truly believe them. At least in this moment.

"Still, you need him right?" Her eyes opened partially and the tears in her eyes glistened beneath the hospital lights. "So why give up hope that he'll pull through. We never gave up that Cat was out there, safe, and here she is."

"Yeah…" The doctors did say he'd make it, so she wasn't sure why it was so hard for her to accept that. _"I'm just afraid of losing him."_ She wouldn't give up on him, of course he could pull through this coma, but sitting here was hard as hell. Hell, nine years, she thought she'd lost her sister. Why couldn't she have both her sister and her lover?

Tori looked to the television in the room, which she'd turned on in order to see what was being mentioned on the news. Of course, all the local and national news stations were discussing the events of the raid. To her satisfaction, the only live shots any of them managed to get were the police vans, and officers telling them to stay on the other side of the street.

Any reporter caught going into the area would be charged with interfering with a police investigation. As ordered by the Police Chief.

"Investigators have not given us much in regards to the police raid on Monday afternoon." The reporter was an old friend of Sam's that now lived in Sacramento. Tori pursed her lips and sat up as pictures of the more important people involved appeared on screen. "Katrina Vega and Catherine Valentine, after being missing for nine long years, have been found and returned home to their families."

Andre's picture appeared and Tori could see Cat tense with anxiety. Tori inhaled slowly and smiled at the television while the reporter continued. "Investigators tell us this man, Andre Harris-whose life was cut short after a standoff with police-was responsible for making the phone call that alerted police to the whereabouts of the girls. Though he was involved in the kidnapping of the two women, investigators claim he is a hero. We will have more information in days to come."

"Good luck," Tori whispered with a smirk, "I have little intention of giving any further information to the press. You get freedom to go near the trial when it happens, but you're not getting anything more." She pat her hands together and turned to Cat. "Well Cat? We went ahead and let them know Andre helped us."

"I'm glad." Cat released the breath she'd been holding and closed her eyes. "I know they'll still tear apart his intentions in court-but at least people know he wasn't one of the bad guys."

"At least." She could do nothing about what the lawyers would do. As for preparation, she couldn't do much to help Cat prepare. "Just be ready when you give your testimony. The lawyers will probably try to figure out how much you had to do with all the crimes that happened."

Abigail put her hand onto her sister's shoulder and smiled. "Be strong, sis."

"I will be as much as I can be…" Cat motioned to Rick, and Tori followed the gesture with her eyes. "You be strong too, Tori. He'll make it through this." She swept away a tear and reached for Rick's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

When she returned home, she was pleasantly surprised to see everyone seated around the living room. Trina was on the couch with Victoria and Jesse, while David and Monica were in the two-seat couch.

She made her way to the recliner and glanced to the TV, they had the news on but it was muted. "Too much news for one day?" She asked.

David looked over and waved his hand through the air. "We got tired of the reporter talking so we put it on mute and got caught up in conversation." Tori meshed her eyebrows together and sat down.

"What were you talking about?"

Trina straightened her back and breathed in a careful breath. "A number of things I missed out on over the last decade." Tori nodded once and Trina moved her hand towards her stomach. "I know I'm going to need an actual doctor's appointment soon, so can I make a suggestion?"

"Please do."

"I was going to go through my term with Victoria with Dr. Mathers, if she's still in practice, I'd like her to be my gynecologist. Also I had set up with Dr. Ken Sultemeier back then to be the pediatrician…is he still in practice?"

"I think so. We haven't really had a chance to get Victoria a regular physical." Trina frowned and Tori slid her hands down the arm rests of the recliner. "We thought she'd be more comfortable if you were present."

"What would you have done if I didn't make it out?"

"I would have raised my niece…" She didn't want to think about the 'what if', because it didn't happen. Even with Rick, she couldn't stand the 'what if' questions. "I was looking for pediatricians and I thought I saw that doctor's name somewhere. You and Victoria both need a primary doctor though. Until we can get you on some kind of insurance, I'll pay for the medical stuff."

In the corner of her eyes she watched the news. Jesse followed her look and frowned. "Things are going to be rough for a while," he said "How is Rick doing?" Her heart stopped and in an instant she felt uncomfortable with everyone looking at her.

"He's still hanging on." She moved her hands into her lap and slowly tapped a finger on her leg. "But let's not talk about him right now, I-" She choked on her words and felt her tears building beneath her eyelids. "I don't want to think about that right now, I have to be stronger than this."

It was Victoria that moved over to her. As the child hugged her waist, Tori felt a splash of warmth inside. She pat the girl on the back and smiled down at her. "It'll be okay, Aunt Tori. You saved mommy, so Mr. Rick will make it too."

The girl's innocence and faith surprised her, but she was happy to see it. She groomed the child's hair and tilted her head to the side. "You know something I just realized? You are a bright child despite the things you've been through."

"That's the effect of Andre and Cat," Trina answered, "They tried their best to give Victoria a childhood-and actually Gary did the same." Her eyes darted over and widened while David slowly raised an eyebrow. "Gary couldn't see a sense in making a small child suffer. Anything bad that happened to my daughter was at Holly's hands, and nobody else."

"That-" She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "That s a good thing still." Jade and Beck would like hearing that, since they were still struggling hardest with having to gun the man down.

The phone beside her broke through the silence that was forming, causing her to jump and glare at the device. The number didn't have a contact name, so she couldn't see who it was.

When she answered and heard Haley's voice, she froze. "Tori, we're watching the news. Trina's safe?" Her teeth clenched together and her eyes moved onto her sister. Trina's brow furrowed and her cheeks fell.

"Yes. What do you want?" She tried not to sound bitter, but it was near impossible. "This isn't exactly a good day-and tell me this isn't hitting _international_ airwaves."

"Not at all, we're on the plane. We won't be touching down for several more hours." She heard the woman take a deep breath and waited for her to say something before hanging up on her. "They said that Trina had a daughter, eight years old, and investigators found her. Now I know you made Sinjin take that DNA test a month ago when you brought that young girl to the campus…"

Tori looked away and spread her lips into a slight sneer. "Don't you worry, Haley. We'll be staying out of your hair. We don't need another instance of Holly in our lives."

"What-no! I-so that confirms it. The girl is his?"

"We won't make him pay alimony or anything like that."

"That's Haley calling?" Trina asked abruptly. Tori snapped her gaze over and slowly nodded as the rest of the people in the room tensed. "Well, let her talk…I want to know what she's going to say."

"Fine." She tensed her muscles, and her hand was clamping down so much that she was afraid of crushing the phone. "Trina's moved on like Sinjin has, Haley. I think you should understand that, she won't be a threat to you."

"Look Tori." Her stomach tightened at Haley's firm tone. The woman blew out a quick exhale and her voice softened a bit. "I know you don't like me, and you don't have to trust me either. Yes I am not a fan of children, I have my reasons, but I'm not a bad person. I'm not that woman they arrested! If that's Sinjin's daughter, then I think he deserves to at least be a part of her life in some way. Don't keep her from knowing who he is because of me."

"Oh please, like you would actually agree to-" Haley cut her off and spoke slower, each word out of her mouth was spoken with strong emphasis.

"If she is his daughter, I will accept her."

Still wary of the woman, she scoffed at her and shook her head. "Did Sinjin put you up to that? You're not saying that just because he's making you?"

"He has no idea, Tori. He's asleep, he didn't hear the part about Trina's daughter. I'm not asking you to trust me, hell I don't care if _you_ trust me or not." She jerked her head back and her jaw fell open. "I'm asking you to put aside your pride and let Sinjin have a chance to know his child because they both deserve it. That shouldn't even be your decision, really, that should be Trina's."

"She's going through a hard time right now, but I'll talk to her." She closed her eyes and sank back into the recliner. "I imagine she'll call you two when she's ready to, but with him being overseas for five years…"

"There are computers. It's not impossible. But thank you, I hope you'll let her give me a call. I really haven't talked to Sinjin about this yet, so I'd like to talk to her first so we can work out how to approach this with him." Haley stopped momentarily and Tori heard someone ask about peanuts. Haley thanked the person then returned to the call. "You'd think airlines would have moved on from peanuts by now, but _no!_ Anyway Tori, I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry for the way I acted in front of that child, the things I've said to you. Just…look, I know I can be a defensive bitch at times, and I'll work on that, just please don't punish Sinjin-or that child who won't know her father because of your pride-because of me."

"I accept your apology." She pulled the phone away and looked to her family. For the first time, she was stunned to agree with Haley, but the woman spoke the truth. Trina may want to be with Jesse, and Sinjin was engaged to Haley, but that was no reason to keep Victoria from knowing her birth father.

With a heavy breath and relieving herself of her pride, she moved the phone back to her ear and closed her eyes. "There's still a lot that needs to be done, Haley. We'll…be in touch. Just, I don't know when, it could be after the trial for all I know. There's still doctor appointments to deal with, we have to get Victoria enrolled in a school, you know how it goes."

"Right. We'll, I'll be waiting. Just call whenever Trina's ready. Thanks for hearing me out. I know we're not friends and all, but-"

Tori smirked and ended the call. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She set the phone on the armrest and looked over to her dad. "Would it look so bad if I took another short break from work?" The man answered only with a laugh. She wasn't planning on taking another break, since her boss wouldn't like that, but it was a good thought.

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Haley's got a genuine plea. There's a lot to think about in this chapter, so do tell me your thoughts if you will


	36. First Day of School

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This chapter is in Victoria's perspective for a reason that should be obvious to you when you start reading. We haven't seen much of what she's dealing with, her emotions and everything else, so this chapter will sort of explore that as well.

And allow me to alleviate some questions, yes Haley was genuine in the last chapter-it's a tad too late in the story for anyone to have any hidden motives.

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Chapter 36 (First Day of School)

Victoria walked behind Kyle and Amanda, clutching the shoulder straps of a bright and new pink backpack. Behind her was her mother, Jesse, Aunt Tori and Jade. "I like this neighborhood." Her mother was talking to Tori about living arrangements, but her mom didn't want to live by herself just yet.

Her aunt was carrying on about how safe the neighborhood was, but Victoria sensed some fear in her mother. She understood how her mom had been stolen from the streets of her own home. "Crimes are more likely to be caused by someone you know," Tori pointed out, "While strangers do commit crimes, it's often actions such as mugging or theft."

Jade pat Trina's shoulder and mustered up a warm smile. "My kids walk to school every day. Of course, being just around the corner from where we live, it's no hassle. Beck tends to drive around and make sure they get there."

"We'll all walk together until you think you're ready." They were here today because Trina was a nervous wreck. It was the first real time they had to willingly be separate. "The school year's started up, so it's better that we get Victoria in now rather than wait for the trial-we don't know how long a trial is going to last."

Victoria bit her lip and picked up the pace, stepping closer to Kyle. They had already taken her to this school once so the principal and teachers could gauge the grade level she should be at. Since Andre, Cat and Robbie made sure to teach her a number of things, she felt like she did well.

Kyle had his eighth birthday already and was starting the third grade while Amanda was in Kindergarten. To Victoria's relief, she'd been placed in the third grade classroom with Kyle. "I've never been to school before. I've never been without mommy either."

"Your mom looks like my mom when I first started kindergarten. You'll like the school-the teacher's nice." A plus, but she still wasn't sure how to trust someone she didn't know. "She won't hurt you."

"Mommy used to talk about school and said she had many different classes. Do we only have one class together?" Kyle raised an eyebrow and pulled his backpack up.

"Elementary school doesn't break apart like the big kids at the middle and high schools. Mom calls them 'periods', but elementary doesn't have that. We'll have a primary teacher, Mrs. Putnam. The primary class is where we learn reading, writing, math, and so on. During the day we go to P.E."

She jerked her head back and her jaw dropped. "Go to pee?" Amanda laughed and Kyle shook his head, then explained carefully.

"P.E. Physical education. We get to exercise there and play sport games. Like dodgeball, baseball, and then we go run around the track field outside."

"Stick with big brother," Amanda urged, "You don't talk a lot, but don't be afraid of other people. Not everyone there will keep trying to be your friend if you don't talk to them."

Kyle rubbed his sister's hair and she grabbed her head, screaming about her pigtails being messed up. "She's right. Mom and Dad kept bringing us over so we would be your friend. The teachers at Bedford Heights urge us to play with each other and make friends because it 'will be better in the long run', whatever that means. They say it's important that we know how to 'socialize'." He put air quotes around the last word, making Victoria laugh.

According to her aunt, the education system toned down over the last decade. She didn't know what that meant exactly, but overheard Tori saying that they no longer make young children take all the difficult test and overemphasize education at early ages, they try to maintain an equal balance between education and interaction.

"Aunt Tori says teachers want us to interact. I think she said it was because friendships were important?"

"I personally like having my friends help me study, and being able to play outside of class." He snapped his fingers and turned to her. "Which reminds me! I didn't have Mrs. Putnam much last year, but I got to see what she does because I had friends in her class. For the first thirty minutes of class she lets everyone talk to each other, then she begins the lesson. We have a thirty minute recess at 10:00, lunch at 12:30, and P.E. at 1:00. Then we go back to Mrs. Putnam until we go home at 3:00."

"Everyone goes to lunch at 12:30?"

"No. Elementary has kindergarten through six grade. At least our school is set up like that." Victoria nodded slowly and tucked in the corner of her lip. She looked down at the hem of her long pink dress and smiled at her pink shoes. Kyle scratched the back of his neck and took a deep breath. "Kindergarten and first grade go to lunch at 11:45, second and third graders-that's us-and fourth graders all go to lunch at 12:30, then fifth and sixth grade kids go at 1:15."

She looked up and slowly counted on her fingers, trying to remember what Andre used to teach her about math. "Thirty minutes for lunch?" She was counting by five, but she wasn't sure. Kyle clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"No, forty-five. You're close though. I think we're going to learn multiplication in third grade, so be prepared for that. Mom says it's impressive that you can add and subtract, and even read and write."

"I can't spell well. Mister Andre and Miss Cat helped teach me a lot of what they said were basic education."

"That's good. I'd say you're lucky too, because if you didn't know all that stuff, they might have to put you in a special education class." Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a circle.

"I don't know what that is."

Amanda glanced over and turned around to walk backwards. "Brother says special education classes are where kids with problems have to go to."

"Dad says they're underdeveloped. Whether they can function when they talk, or if they can't move, or if they have learning problems. It'll be your first day, so try to remember to interact and do your best, because mom says all the teachers are going to be watching you for the first week."

"I'll try. I'm starting a little after you, right?"

"We'll help you catch up, there's really not much you have to worry about." She was more worried about people knowing her situation and what happened with her mother. She didn't want special treatment from anybody, what she wanted was what her mom and her aunt were hoping for, a normal childhood.

"I hope nobody talks about me. I don't want people to know much."

Kyle frowned at her and shook his head. "For a while people are going to know. Mom and dad say it'll fade away eventually and people will forget about it, but it's all over the news."

"Aunt Tori's trying to keep people from putting me up there…"

"Yeah."

She was present for that discussion, though she understood little of it. Apparently the news people didn't have a picture of her, nor even a name. All anybody knew was that she was 'Katrina Vega's daughter'. She wouldn't even have to appear in court like her mom was going to, she'd given her statement to the police and to the prosecutor, and that was all that was needed.

According to Tori, they were ensuring that she at least had a chance to have a normal childhood.

"We're here!" Amanda cried out. She shook away her thoughts and froze as Kyle and Amanda walked ahead of her.

The brown school seemed to stretch and wrap around her, it was shaped like a rectangle and had a single row of windows stretching out to the end. Amanda pointed out the extended side on the left, where there was a glass wall that overlooked the rest of the school.

This was where the kindergarteners would be.

The main doors were right beside this extension, and to the left of the long wing. To the right of the building was an expansive field of grass and sand, and a playground for kids to play on.

"It looks so big!" Kyle and Amanda stopped and turned around. She didn't think about how giant the building was, nor did she consider that Amanda would be in a completely separate area of the school. They weren't even going to see Amanda until the very end of the school day!

Her heart began racing and her trembling fingers gripped her shoulder straps as though they were the only things keeping her alive.

A pair of familiar arms wrapped around her and she turned to look into her mother's eyes. She mustered a smile as her mom lovingly brushed back her hair and gazed at her with tender eyes. "Momma, you're not scared anymore?"

"Oh I am," Trina whispered, "but I have to be strong and let you have your first day of school. Are you afraid?"

Victoria's eyebrows curled up in the middle and her lower lip pouted as the warmth of her mother's smile filled her heart. She straightened her back and shook her head. "No!" If her mom could be strong, then so could she. "I don't want to leave you, momma…"

"I'll be right here when you get out, sweetheart."

"No doubt about that," Tori laughed, "I expect your mom to be watching the clock all day."

"Hey." Jesse's voice drew her and she looked up to him with admiration. He knelt beside her and looked at her with a smile of encouragement. "You'll be alright, kiddo." She smiled back at him and her heart skipped when she saw him hand her a stuffed Gingham Dog. "Your mom and Aunt wanted to give this to you." She took it in her hands and stared at it curiously.

"That's Snowflake," Trina said. She looked up and raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know Tori kept it all these years, but that was my favorite thing when I was your age. She comforted me growing up, and every time something scared me or hurt me, I'd hold onto her and she would make me feel better. She's yours now, so I want you to take care of her and she'll take care of you. Okay?"

"Okay mommy." She clutched the dog close to her chest and closed her eyes. Courage washed over her and she felt like she could be brave, so long as she stayed close to Kyle when she could.

Still sensing her mom's own nervousness, she extended the dog to her, taking her mother by surprise. "I want you to have her for now." Trina put her hand to her chest and smiled. "Because I think I'll be okay, you need Snowflake more than I do today…"

Trina closed her eyes and chuckled once before carefully taking the dog from her. "Okay sweetheart." Victoria threw her arms around Trina, hugging her close.

"I'll be brave if you be brave?"

"I will be. I love you."

"Love you too mommy." She broke apart from Trina and hurried to hug Jesse as well. "You too!" Jesse sputtered out in surprise and the women smirked. After a few seconds, he returned the hug.

"Hang in there and stay close to your friends, all right?"

"I will Jesse. You're going to be here after school with mommy?"

"I'll try to be. I might have to be at work, but if they'll let me off early, I'll be here."

"Okay."

"Now. Go on and have a great day."

Victoria nodded and looked back at Kyle and Amanda, both were still waiting for her. At the front doors, a man had stepped outside. He had a neatly trimmed grey beard and white hair that formed a horseshoe around his bald head. His hands were behind his back and he was watching the group with a subtle smile. A long scarf hung from his neck and over his brown suit.

She recognized him as the school principal, and a man who was very happy to see Trina. Although she'd forgotten his name because it was a hard one to remember.

"Classes are almost in session," The principal stated, "You don't want to be late on your first day, Miss Vega. I'm sure Mr. and Miss Oliver will show you around."

"Yes Mr. Sikowitz," Kyle muttered, "She's a little nervous." Victoria hopped in place and flashed a bright smile.

"I'm ready." She kissed her mom on the cheek, then ran up alongside Kyle and Amanda. "When is P.E. again? I'm really looking forward to that class, for some reason."

"Not surprised," Mr. Sikowitz added. "Your mother was quite the athlete in her day. Now come along, let me show you to your classroom. Mrs. Putnam is looking forward to having you in her class this year."

She followed them excitedly and stopped just before the front doors so she could turn and wave at the adults. Trina's face was wet with tears, but her warm smile continued to encourage her.

Now it seemed she had a new thing to survive. Grade school.

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Well, what did you think of the chapter? All the way to the nice little end of the chapter.


	37. Making Friends

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: *sigh* responding to anon reader Gwen: Behavior patterns in children tend to revolve around how the child is brought up, not how a parent was when they were a teenager. If you're a young child brought up in a loving house with parents that care and also raise you to know right from wrong, you're less likely to act out than you are raised by parents that do not care, or are negligent and abusive. That said, neither Kyle or Amanda should be "mean" to people simply because their mother displayed aggressive behavior in her teenage years. Behavior patterns and psychology are not always equal to personality, but influenced by surrounding, upbringing, and interaction with others. It would be easier to say that Kyle and Amanda could be sarcastic because that might be their personality, but one cannot say they would be aggressive towards other kids at their age unless something was severely wrong with their home life. Which, we know from this story, that that there is not.

Enjoy the chapter! ALSO my regular readers with a good eye for detail will notice a little something I'm putting in here.

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Chapter 37 (Making Friends)

Victoria shuffled her feet behind Kyle while walking into the classroom. There were several kids already there, but her focus was on the teacher. The woman had a kindred face and soft blonde hair that was short and wavy. "Good morning Kyle," Mrs. Putnam remarked, "Is this Victoria?" She stopped as every eye fell onto her.

Kyle pat her on the back and gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes ma'am, she's a little nervous. I thought my little sister was nervous about starting her first day, but hey, Victoria here's incredibly shy." He smirked and Victoria coughed.

"I am not shy! I just um…" She took a deep breath and looked out at the class, smiling warily while waving at them. "H-Hi there." She started to stutter, which was something she wound up doing when she first started talking to Kyle and Amanda. She remembered something her aunt told her about regarding the stuttering and stopped to breathe, then spoke slowly to avoid the stutter. "I'm Victoria. I'm happy to be here, and I'm looking forward to classes." She turned her head to Kyle and stuck out her tongue. "There. I'm not shy."

"Well it got you talking." Her eyebrows rose and Kyle made his way to an empty desk. "So introduce yourself a little more, Mrs. Putnam makes all of us talk about ourselves to the class."

"Only if you're comfortable with it," Mrs. Putnam added quickly, "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable Victoria. I did speak with your mother and your aunt already." Then she understood what the teacher was referring to, and once more, she did not want special treatment.

"I'll be fine." She moved up to the front of the room and looked out at the class. Her hands trembled nervously and a lump formed in her throat. While the other students looked at her, she could feel sweat forming at her collar and beneath her bangs. "I'm Victoria Vega." The stutter returned so she stopped herself and laced her index fingers together.

Mentally she counted the number of students in the class. Fifteen students, she made sixteen. "There's not much to say. I was kind of homeschooled most of my life. My mommy's friends taught me how to read, write, and other things."

"How old are you?" A boy asked. Victoria looked to the boy, he was four seats to the right of Kyle. He had sandy brown hair and a soft, inviting gaze. "I turn nine in the wintertime." She unlatched her fingers and let her arms fall to the sides.

"I'm eight."

"Cool Victoria, what does your mom do?" She saw Kyle roll his eyes and glare at the boy, it was as though he wanted to be the one to get her to talk. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Mommy doesn't work. She and my dad aren't married either, but her boyfriend works for the police. So does my aunt."

"Awesome! My dad's a personal trainer, he also teaches fitness classes at the university. My family's made up of teachers, like dad's uncle is the principal here. My name's Jack, it's good to meet you. I'm adopted."

"Oh, is your dad married?"

"No, but he recently got engaged. You should come sit with me and my sister in gym-well she's not my sister yet, but she and Lindsay are nice. Lindsay's her mom."

"I was going to show her around," Kyle said under his breath. Victoria frowned at him and started to turn down Jack's offer, but Kyle immediately shifted and interjected before she could. "Still you should. Jack and his sister are cool, and you need to make friends on your own. Though, those two are athletic, so don't be surprised if they want you to play sports and run around."

"Sounds fun." She shrugged and looked over to Mrs. Putnam. "Can I sit down now, please? I don't really know what else to say." The teacher smiled at her and motioned to an empty seat near Jack. "Thank you."

She took the seat and folded her hands over her desk. Mrs. Putnam let everyone know the class had a few minutes to spend time with each other before getting started, so she made sure to do as Kyle and Amanda.

"Mama had a friend named Lindsay once."

"Is your mom Trina Vega?"

"Yes."

"Awesome! Lindsay was talking about her recently, maybe they knew each other." She smiled at him and looked down at her backpack. For now, she was feeling comfortable with this new school.

During lunch, Kyle was busy with some of his other friends and she didn't feel like getting involved with them right now. It was more to do with her feeling uncomfortable with large groups of people, she preferred getting to know people on a one on one basis.

She ate quickly, yet still managed to savor every bite. Today's lunch was served up with a slice of meatloaf, mixed veggies, milk, a banana, and a small brownie.

Her next move was to visit the library. The librarian, Mrs. Schorn, was a nice tall woman with wire glasses and auburn hair. The one thing Victoria enjoyed was reading. All throughout her life in that basement, she'd been given many books to read. Gary convinced Holly to allow it, so Andre, Cat, and Robbie all gave her books while teaching her various things.

Among her favorite were the Nancy Drew stories. She liked the Animorphs and Wishbone series too. Occasionally they would bring the Goosebumps series, and her mom would yell at them. Her mother told her all these books were from her childhood, so the three must have gone for children's books that they knew.

Her mom would sometimes read to her from what she called classic works, like Pride and Prejudice.

Truly, reading was the best way to pass the time in that dark place. She was curious about the books that were out nowadays, as opposed to books that were around when her mom was a child. The good thing about the elementary library was they allowed students to check out as many books as they wanted.

"Hi there!" The girl's voice startled her and she turned on her heels to see another girl in the section of books she was in. This girl had two long braided pigtails and had freckles on her cheekbones. "I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name?"

"Victoria. I was looking for some books to take home and read with my mama."

"I'm Chelsea. I'm in fifth grade, what about you?"

"Third. Mom and Aunt Tori say I read at the fifth or sixth grade level. I really like to read."

"So do I." The girl's eyes widened and she leaned forward. "So you're a good reader? Would you like to be in the Battle of the Books this year?" Victoria paused and tilted her head to the side.

"What's that?"

Chelsea smiled and crossed her arms. "Every year the school competes with other elementary schools. We get five books to read and to remember, and compete for a medal. Of course you have to take a test first to see how much you know about the books you read, and if you know enough to make it onto the team-you're good to go!"

It sounded interesting, and she felt like it'd be fun to give it a shot. Although she'd be a little nervous competing, but was there any shame in trying to see if she could at least make it?

"I'd like to try that." She grabbed a book from the shelf and opened it up, smiling at the words on the page. It was about a dog that was lost in the wilderness. As she read the first page, Chelsea leaned over and her eyebrows drifted.

"You're a third grader? That's a sixth grade book."

"Yeah, I had good teachers." She looked up and closed the book in her hand. "I understand the words."

"Then we need to see if you can get in on the battle of the books!" Chelsea took her hand and guided her to the front desk in a hurry. Her cheeks flushed and a nervous smile flickered at her lips as the librarian smiled. "Mrs. Schorn, she needs to be a part of the battle of the books! She can read at upper levels." Chelsea held up the book and Mrs. Schorn looked impressed.

"Well. Victoria? Are you interested in trying out? I'll put your name down if you'd like." She didn't need to think much about her answer. Despite any hesitation, she truly felt like she'd enjoy this. Plus Chelsea seemed nice, so there was a chance for friendship.

"I would. I don't know much about it, but I like what Chelsea said. I like to read, so it's a good chance to read some newer books." The librarian nodded and wrote her name down on a sheet of paper.

Today was turning out to be a good day.

At the gym, she met with Jack and his step-sister, Michelle. They each sat in a single row, as the P.E. instructor had every student seated along the gym in this manner. "This is my favorite class," Michelle informed, "We get to do a lot of fun things around here. Do you like to run, Victoria?"

"A little bit." She'd become faster and a bit stronger over the time she'd been with her aunt, mainly because Kyle and Amanda liked to play a variety of games outside-their parents were apparent believers that children needed to play outdoors rather than spend their day indoor. "Kyle and his sister play tag a lot. Hide and go seek is fun."

"How often did you guys play?"

"Nearly every day. Mr. or Mrs. Oliver would drop them off and we'd spend all day running around." While she didn't tire out as easily as she did before and her legs weren't as sore, she was still affected in the way of endurance. "I'm getting faster."

"You seem like the type to enjoy playing sports." Michelle grinned and sat upright. "You know, Jack's in early karate class." Her brow furrowed and she turned her focus to Jack. Trina spoke about karate a few times, so she knew what it was.

"Mom was a blackbelt once, but she hasn't practiced in a long time."

Jack scrunched his nose and leaned his back against the wall. His shoulders rose up and he laced his fingers behind his head. "She probably still is. Dad says you don't lose your rank even if you don't use you skill for a long time. I could teach you a few things if you'd like to learn."

Michelle nudged him in the side and smirked. "I got her first, Jackson."

As the teacher led them outside, she looked around for Kyle. He was with a couple of his friends, so she elected to hang out with Jackson and his sister. On the track.

They ran together and chatted to get to know each other. Every so often she'd see the teacher watching, usually with a stopwatch in her hand. When she asked about it, Michelle said she always timed the students in class to see how fast they could run.

She wanted to invite them over because of their mom possibly being the same Lindsay that Trina talked about, but she didn't want to do that without checking with her mother first. Still she was happy, and no one asked about the eight years of her life she spent locked away in a basement.

If the first day of school went this well, then surely the next day would be even better.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter, should be the last school chapter. Enjoy what is to come


	38. Wounds Run Deep

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:So sorry guys, a lot has been going on the last few days. I'm going to need some time to catch up too, by the way, with almost all of my ongoing works the posted count has either reached or is near the amount of chapters I have written. Bear with me folks, and enjoy this chapter

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Chapter 38 (Wounds Run Deep)

Cat was visiting after she and Trina were done with their individual appointments with a gynecologist. "You had your appointment too?" Trina smiled at the redhead and took a sip of water. "What did your doctor say?" Cat pat her abdomen and peered down with a smile.

"It's been enough time to tell the gender. I'm having a boy." She was thrilled to hear the news. She would have to wait a few weeks before she could tell the gender of her own baby. Sasha was excited to be getting a younger sibling, and of course she'd been asking if they were all going to be a family with Jesse.

She wanted that in time, but right now she was pacing herself. "I went to see my gynecologist, and my primary doctor was there too. So I got my physical. I'm in relatively decent health. Not too malnourished." Cat leaned forward and pat her arm.

"See, it's all the good food I made for you." Trina frowned and thought back to her years in hell. She wanted more than anything for Tori to have killed Holly during their fight, but considering everything, she was glad she hadn't done so.

Getting through that trial was going to be hell, but she was going to look Holly square in the eyes and tell the court-tell everyone-everything the monster had done to her. As far as she knew, the prosecutors had a solid case the defense couldn't break. She honestly didn't want to get up in that courtroom, she didn't want the entire nation watch her break, but she prepared herself because she was the key witness. It was her testimony that was going to put Holly away.

She prayed the woman would be sentenced to death, and death row was what the prosecutor was aiming for. Unfortunately, in America, death row inmates still lived at least thirty years in luxurious and comfortable prisons. Just the thought of Holly living a life of luxury before death made her stomach churn.

As her muscles tensed, Cat started to reach over. The girl placed a comforting hand on hers and smiled slightly as Trina looked to her. "It's going to be okay, Trina. We made it out, that's what matters. We're alive…Andre and Robbie, yeah they're gone, but I bet they're both happy that we're out."

"Yeah…Andre did contact Jesse directly after we did that pregnancy test. I just wish he'd done that years ago. No sense in crying about it now, right?" She rubbed her lips together and glanced at the floor. Cat moved back into her chair and shook her head.

"Sam and I have been spending a lot of time together with my family. She says it's okay to cry it out…I've been doing a lot of that actually. My younger brother's dead because of Holly-because I didn't shoot Robbie. Andre's dead for whatever reason-"

"Jade and Beck say he didn't want us to deal with the stress of seeing him go through trial." She understood his meaning in that. The truth of the matter was only she and Cat truly knew how much of a hero he'd been, and the trial was going to be hell enough that seeing him grilled by lawyers, and all of his intentions twisted around to make it seem like he was working alongside Holly would be far too much for them to watch. "He was always thinking about us…"

"Even to his last breath." Silence surrounded them like a cloud of smoke, strangling them of their breath and drawing the tears to their eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Live?" Trina chuckled nervously and Cat smiled weakly. "You know something? When I think about everything…I can't believe my sister, or even Jade and Beck, worked so hard to find us. To find me. Then Andre, Robbie…All of you hated me back then. None of you had a reason to give a shit-even Tori gave up a possible career in entertainment to go into law enforcement so she could try and find me. Don't even get me started on Jade. Maybe she just had a guilt complex or something."

"Maybe. But if it makes any difference, none of us hated you." Trina raised an eyebrow and watched Cat scrunch her shoulders together. "And Tori did chew our heads off about treating you so badly, but that was close to when the, you know-"

"Why did all of you act that way in the first place? Do you even remember? You guys even scared off the one friend I did have."

"I don't know. Jade never needed a reason to trash whoever she wanted to trash back then, and I guess we all just went along with it. Your sister wanted friends, so she didn't say anything-even joined in. When she did finally speak up, it was too late…and then, our mistreatment of you was something Holly used to her advantage."

"Yeah." Trina knew it was Robbie that put her in the hospital because of the harness incident. It was something that Holly used against him, because she found out he was responsible, and threatened to expose him if he didn't help abduct her. Cat was easy to kidnap and to threaten. "It always bothered me how she got Andre, though…"

"I don't really remember. I think it had something to do with his family, and a little to do with you. I seem to remember her killing someone and setting it up to look like he did it." Cat ran her hand along her shoulder and exhaled slowly. "She knew a lot of our secrets, I know that. She told me once that every time we were over, every time it looked like she was ignoring us, she was watching us. Planning…"

"She planned my kidnapping?"

"And planned to use us as leverage. I don't even know why she didn't approach Beck and Jade. She even mentioned once that she would have loved to-" The girl stopped and Trina drew her eyebrows together. Curious, she pursed her lips and tensed her hands around the arm rests.

"What? What did she want to do, Cat? You may as well tell me."

Cat's eyes flickered into hers and the energy in the room grew tense. "She _wanted _to use Jade." Cat's voice trembled. Her heart sank and she held her breath, groaning lightly as her stomach churned. "She knew it would destroy your trust in people completely if she could get Jade to torture you. Holly always said it would fit, that it you would believe Jade to enjoy hurting you because of how miserable she acted towards you in the past."

"Mentally speaking, probably." Considering she already thought they all hated her, if Jade had been forced to take a part of it-with how long it took for her to see that Andre, Robbie and Cat were forced-it would have confirmed what she always feared. "I'm in bad enough shape now, pretty sure I'd be in worse shape. If Holly knew that, then why didn't she go after Jade?"

"I think Holly said she was bought out or something. Someone knew what she did, knew she was after Jade too. Holly said she found that person, and killed her. So somebody else was killed so that the woman wouldn't get Jade…"

"Do you remember any details at all?"

"Let me think." Cat's forehead wrinkled and her eyes slanted. The girl closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "Jade's mom, I think. I think Holly was going to go after her anyway, but prior arrangements were made or something to where she couldn't find her."

In the hallway, Tori had been listening in on the conversation with Jade-who was now more distraught than she'd been just moments ago. It appalled her to hear her mother wanted to use Jade after all, and to make matters worse, back then it would have worked.

However, discovering this, she'd been given something more to work with. Jade's mother moved away many years before, to some place in Mexico of all places. Apparently she met somebody and ran off with the man, but if the woman had been a resident of Mexico-it meant Holly committed a murder over the border.

"Jade? Didn't your mother go missing a long time ago?" She looked to the right and frowned at the woman. Jade's arms were crossed, her posture was rigid and her face held an angered expression that Tori hadn't seen in years.

"Yeah. They found her body in Mexico City, thought her boyfriend killed her. Though there was DNA evidence and a fingerprint that proved otherwise. But it was Mexico…and Mexican police wanted an arrest, so they took the guy into custody. They're not exactly known for having a fair judicial system."

"Yeah I know, Rick talks about it all the time." She crossed her arms and turned towards Jade. "Back then, you went to Italy to take classes."

"Mom was Italian. She forced me to go to an Italian college-I always thought it was because she wanted me to follow her footsteps or something."

"Do you think she did it so Holly couldn't get to you?"

Jade dropped her arms and quickly ran a finger across her eyelids. "I don't know." She took a deep breath and looked away. "I don't want to think about it. Beck and I have been taking this whole thing hard ever since, you know…this stress isn't helping me either."

"I'm sorry, Jade. Really." It was difficult to be apologetic, but she was sympathetic still. Her mind wasn't on her friend's troubles now, her mind was on how to ensure Holly did _not_ have an easy prison term.

Should they pin the murder of Jade's mom on Holly, then she could legally ensure Holly went to one of those prisons in Mexico that Rick said was truly terrible.

"Take a few days off, Jade." She balled her fists and started down the hallway. "I'm going to work with the Mexican police for a little bit." Jade raised an eyebrow and followed after her.

"What do you mean?"

A rush of anger coursed through her veins as ice. "Your mother may be the key in making the rest of Holly's life a miserable one."

Within days she had investigators reopening the case of Denise West. "You must truly hate this woman," the investigator replied with a smirk, "To reopen a case simply to insure she serves a prison term in one of Mexico's prisons."

"Well." Tori grinned as she fanned the fires of her hatred. This was all for her sister and for Rick. She didn't have to kill Holly, but she was going to make damn sure the bitch suffered. "Don't quote me on it, but American prisons are far too lenient for a bitch like this."

"So you're not simply interested in clearing the name of an innocent man?"

"Oh, I want to do that too." She glanced at the ring on her finger and pressed her lips tightly together. Her eyes narrowed as her anger continued to spiral out of control. "I need this woman to suffer for what she's done. Ella tiene que pagar por lo que ha hecho a mi Hermana y mi prometido."

"We will definitely work on this case, but we need to test the DNA evidence as well as fingerprints."

"I've given you those samples already. She's about to have trial in an American court. If you can prove she's the one who murdered this woman, then we can prepare to extradite her once she's been sentenced."

"Si."

Her nose crinkled and she turned away with a dangerous huff. She walked to the door and turned around, glancing at the evidence on the investigation table. "I want her in the worst, trashiest, most diseased prison in the biggest cesspool of hell that you can find in Mexico. She may get the death sentence in America, but death row inmates tend to live for twenty years or more before execution."

"Miss, I can guarantee, inmates here don't always last that long."

"Good. She needs to feel the hell she put my sister through." Holly could be confident that the politically correct American society had made prisoners happy and living lives of luxury, to be treated like human beings instead of the dirtbag criminals that they were, but she would soon find herself being treated to a different criminal justice system.

Considering the Mexican police did their criminal investigations differently than America, such as directly throwing their prisoners in jail, Holly was in for an unpleasant surprise.

"Gobierno mexicano no es tan bonito como Americano, Holly…"

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So what are your thoughts on everything going on here?


	39. A Best Friend's Closure

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is one of those chapters where the supporting character's perspective is shown, because there's still things that affect them going on as well.

A/N: GWEN-Okay, so you've got to insult me in a way I can't explain myself through private message or something... Thanks. I am taking Spanish this semester, so I was _trying_ to utilize my writing as a tool to help study and learn the language. I do know that google translate-as well as every other translator on the fucking internet is a piece of shit, but it's difficult when I cannot find a word or words in the vocabulary in the back of the textbook. So forgive me for trying to use my writing as a tool. *sigh* Anyway, I agree with my friend Mai, of course my writing is no way perfect one of the things I still struggle with-obvious here-is dialogue between children. Probably, also because I don't use children in my stories very much, it isn't something that I practice. I am also not around children, so I haven't observed their interactions or speech patterns enough. That is something that iI would need to practice up on, either that or dumb down every other line they say.

Enjoy the chapter. Right now it's the last chapter I have written, I've been busy and so forth-so I've been trying to hold off on posting it, but here you guys go.

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Chapter 39 (A Best Friend's Closure)

"I can't believe my own mother did that…" Jade's fingers tangled with Beck's and her moist gaze fell onto her son as he played his video game on the TV. Her head rested on Beck's shoulder and her heart pounded anxiously. "I'd do the same for Kyle and Amanda, but I didn't think my mom would ever take a bullet for me."

She was taking time off as Tori requested, but that didn't stop her from taking a look at the investigation the Mexicans had reopened. "You also would never have let Holly take you, so don't beat yourself up over that woman having ever considered taking you too." Her heart skipped for a moment, but there was still some doubt in her mind.

"Andre would never have gone willingly." Her eyes darted to her husband and she saw a wave of pain in his eyes. Even she could still smell the blood, and subconsciously she was certain there were drops of blood still on her skin. "I'm sorry to bring him up…" When Beck's hand moved from hers, she dropped her head with a sigh.

"It's fine." He cupped his hand over his mouth. The skin around his eyes tensed and his eyebrows fell together in the middle. "We could have saved him. I know he didn't want to be saved, but damn." Beck's hand fell to his knee and his eyelids closed tight. "Bastard had the gun on safety the whole time. If I knew that…"

"We can run it over as often as we want, it won't change anything." She moved her hand onto his and tried to warm him with a smile. "You know he wanted Cat and Trina out more than anything, so we have to think about that. We gave him what he wanted, and because of him, those two are going to have a chance to live again."

"They were my best friends. Even before I knew you, they were my brothers."

"I know, babe." She pecked his cheek and turned her head to a framed photo on the end table. It was recently placed there, and would remain until this trial was finished. It was a simple picture of a pre-teen Beck standing arm and arm with both Andre and Robbie. "There is something that I do wish."

"What's that?"

"I wish I could offer Robbie's dad some sort of consolation." As an investigator, she could do nothing to help the man. It wasn't her job. The job of an enforcer of the law was only to serve and protect, to catch the criminal and put away the bad guy, they were not the one to cater to the victim's emotional or mental health and well-being. "Thomas is the only one left, save for his own dad, but that man's in the final stages of cancer."

It broke her heart having to return to the Shapiro home after discovering Robbie's and Rebecca's bodies. The man was truly broken, almost as broken as David had been the day he was forced to put his daughter's kidnapping case on the shelf and retire.

Jade would never forget the look in the man's eyes. It was harrowing and mournful, reminiscent of a man who lost everything.

"Just because you're an investigator doesn't mean you can't be of comfort outside your job." Beck rolled his head to the side and peered at her with a smile. "We might be able to offer something. Remember that boy in Amanda's class? The one she brought over to play with?"

"Yes." Jade thought back to the child and started to laugh. Amanda declared him to be her first boyfriend, and while Jade thought it was adorable that the two wanted to play house, it made Beck choke on his coffee. "What about him?"

"You didn't think his last name was strange?"

The boy's last name had been _Shapiro_, and he looked a great deal like Robbie. "I thought nothing of it." Her nose crinkled and she pulled her head up from Beck's shoulder. "I mean I thought about it, but it's impossible."

"What's impossible?"

"That Robbie could even be the father of a five year old boy. Much less, if he did, that a woman would give her child the same last name."

"I did ask the kid, he said his mother's last name was Quincy. He's never known his dad, and his mother has always lived in Los Angeles. How many people named Shapiro are there in this city? You've ran the search, you tell me."

"Aside from Robbie's family? None."

"And why is it so inconceivable?" He snapped his fingers and began to curl them out as he counted out his points. "We know Andre had enough control to take _everybody_ out-even if it was for a short period of time. We know Trina had a 'relationship' for at least two years, and to top it off, she had sex _outside_ of captivity with this same man. Why is it hard to believe that maybe Robbie had opportunity as well?"

"Because he was a scared little…you know." She stopped herself from cursing, considering how close their son was. "Andre would have had to do something, wouldn't he?"

Beck started to smirk, then folded his arms and huffed confidently. "Call Cat. Ask her about my thoughts." Wanting to prove the impossibility in her mind, she smirked back at him and accepted his challenge.

An hour later she was walking to a house with her family, sulking under her husband's proud and cocky grin. Amanda was dancing in front of them, happy to be visiting her classmate, while Kyle was complaining about having to be there.

"We don't have time to hire a babysitter," Jade muttered. She crossed her arms and studied the door. It was difficult for her to feel any particular way about what was coming, because of the many different reasons to be anxious and nervous.

Cat confirmed that Robbie had been leaving the mansion, with Andre, approximately six years ago. They were often short trips, and Gary was the one sanctioning it. These trips lasted for several months until Holly finally put a stop to them, and of course she threatened someone else's life in doing so.

"I'm telling you Beck, this is a coincidence."

"And what if it's not, Sweetie?"

"If it's not, I'll do the cooking for the next month."

"No you won't." His smirk deepened and she glared over her shoulder. Her eyebrow rose as he quickly kissed her left cheek and whispered. "You can't resist my cooking." She huffed, then smiled back at him. Beck was right, she didn't like cooking. The days he didn't cook, she ordered out.

When the door opened, a young boy stepped out and immediately hugged Amanda. Jade felt the air flee her lungs and moved her hand up to her chest when she looked to the child.

He was tall for his age, had dark curly hair and thick brown eyebrows. His mouth seemed to be framed by freckles, and his brown eyes were magnified behind his thick glasses.

"Still a coincidence," she told herself while ignoring the pounding of her heart. She didn't want to think that they could have made a mistake, that Robbie could have had someone out there who would have still been waiting for him. "Has to be."

A tall woman stepped out behind the child. She had short cut brown hair and bright blue eyes. Her hair was feathery and she had no freckles on her, unlike the small amount of freckles that Robbie had. Her eyebrows were thin and her lips small.

It was very likely that her son got his looks from his father, another distinction that made Jade tremble.

"Hi." The woman smiled at them and extended her hand. "You must be Amanda's parents. Mark talks a lot about Amanda, he hasn't always been one to socialize with the other kids." The woman looked over her shoulder and motioned them inside. "Come in, we're letting all the hot air inside. I'm Jenny, by the way."

"I'm Jade, and this is my husband Beck." She then placed her hand on Kyle's shoulder, smiling as he focused on his handheld game device. "This is my son Kyle, and you know Amanda."

"Kyle." Beck's voice grew firm, drawing the boy's attention from the console. "Put the game down, son. We are guests at someone's house, we do not want to be rude."

Kyle sighed, then switched off the game. Her son knew well that if he didn't, Beck was going to take the console from him on the spot after the first time. "Sorry," Kyle muttered.

The family entered the home and Jade started to look around. It was a cheap looking, small house with tiny rooms. The couch was a two-seater, and the television was small as well. There was a pile of clothes on the couch, some of them were already folded. Jade wanted to ask about the woman's income level, but she didn't want to be rude.

"Forgive the clutter," Jenny laughed, "I was doing laundry when you called." Jenny scratched at the back of her neck and raised an eyebrow at the couple. "I'm a little surprised at the visit, to be honest. Mark didn't say anything about his friend wanting to come over."

"We do apologize for the sudden visit." Jade walked with the woman to the clothes and offered to help finish folding. Amanda and Mark hurried off to his bedroom, dragging Kyle along with them. "We um, we received some information that we're following up on…"

Jenny grabbed a shirt from the pile and began folding it. "Mark said you two were police officers, but you're not in uniform?"

"No, I'm off duty right now and my husband works security at the bank." She smiled at the woman and set one of the shirts down in the folded pile. "What do you do for a living?"

Jenny laughed nervously and looked around her living room. "Oh some odd jobs here and there, as you can see. Mainly I'm a waitress Ihop, but I do some babysitting on the side as well. Single mom, so I do what I can to get by."

"You receive no help from Mark's father?"

"None." She watched as the woman started to tear up. Jenny's lips pressed against each other and she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "Forgive me if talking about him gets me emotional, I haven't seen that man since I was pregnant with Mark."

"Have you tried to find him?"

"Yes, of course. I was in love with that man, foolish enough to think we had something-even let my son have his last name. I was waiting for him…" Jenny cleared her throat and sat on the couch with a sigh. "Why are you asking about him all of a sudden? I guess you didn't come to talk about our kids?"

"I…I'm afraid not." Her shoulders fell and she looked up to Beck with a deep frown. This was what she was afraid of, and now it seemed he was right. Beck's face had become ashen and his once confident expression was now that of mourning. "Normally, when I'm on the job, this is the part right here that I hate doing the most."

"Here." Beck removed a photo from his wallet and handed it to Jenny. "Is this him?" Beck's jaw locked in place and Jade watched with a quivering stare as Jenny clutched the photo with her right fingers and threw her left hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs. "I'm sorry. My wife was working a case that he was involved in. Unwillingly…It might explain his disappearance from your life…"

Jenny dropped the photo and fell back against the couch cushions. Jade sat beside her and tried to comfort her by taking the woman's hand into her own. "We met at the place I was working…six or seven years ago. I-I was his waitress, always at the table he was at."

Jade started to nod and kept her mouth closed. She wanted to let the woman speak, to tell her story. Beck remained standing on the other side of the couch, his arms were crossed his face had grown long.

Jenny leaned forward and held her gaze on the photo. "He was often there with this friend of his." Jade glanced up to Beck with a knowing look. He closed his eyes and dropped his shoulders. "I would overhear his friend trying to talk him into asking me on a date, and one day he did. We met up a lot, he didn't say much about himself or what he was doing-or even why his visits seemed so strange…but I didn't care."

"You loved him?"

"I fell for him, yes. God knows I wanted to be with that man. We slept together many times, talked about the possibility of a future together, then one day…he stopped showing up." Jade gave the woman's hand a squeeze and glanced over as Beck placed a caring hand on Jenny's shoulder. "The last time we were together, he said he wasn't going to be able to see me anymore." Jenny pulled her hand away from Jade and brought her hands to her face.

"I thought he was joking."

"Is there anyone that you have to help you grieve?"

"No. Mark has no grandparents on my side, no relatives."

"Robbie was a very close friend of ours," Beck confessed. Jenny pulled her hands from her face and looked up at him with a pout lip. "One of my best friends, and I should have been there for him. I couldn't save him, I couldn't save Andre, but if there's anything that I can do…" Beck closed his hands and looked in the direction the children had gone. "Robbie may not be here any longer, but his father is alive. Perhaps, Mark could know his grandfather?"

"Yes." Jenny's eyes widened and she started to stand up. Jade stood with her, placing a hand to her back to help keep the shaking woman stable. "I…Would the man even want me or Mark around, though?"

"Mr. Shapiro has lost everything. His children, his wife…I think Robbie would want the three of you to be a family. If he knew Mark was alive, I think he would have done everything in his power to make sure you were taken care of. I don't see his father turning you away at this point, either."

If ever there was a point where Jade admired or loved her husband more than she did at this moment, she didn't know when. As the tears fell down her cheeks, she visualized Andre and Robbie both watching on.

This was Beck's way of giving his best friends the release, the freedom and peace that they sought, and she was proud of him. This was their closure, and their family's closure. Or at least today, it was Robbie's.

"Will you take me to this man?" Jenny asked with a tone of endearment. "I want Mark to meet his grandfather. What happened with Robbie, do you know?"

Beck heaved forth a heavy sigh and shook his head. "I think it's better that you remember him as you did when you knew him." He smiled warmly and gave Jenny a simple nod. "We'll take you to meet Tom. You don't have to keep waiting for Robbie to appear, just by raising his son and living your life, you're already doing everything I think he would have wanted you to do…"

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Alright, at this point I'm going to have to ask all of you to be patient. Things are getting busy in this semester, I've got multiple written projects I'm working on-plus one story that I'm planning to be perhaps one of my biggest novels yet. So this is the last _written_ chapter I have, I've got to get ahead, so bear with me.


	40. A Mother's Concern

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Hum, okay, so a lot of stress from anon users taking each others' name apparently. And to think I don't moderate guest reviews, ah well. Enjoy this chapter, there aren't many left, so here you go.

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Chapter 40 (A Mother's Concern)

At the park, Trina and Monica watched Jesse pushing Victoria on the swings. She couldn't help but to admire how much he cared for the child, but she was still nervous about many things. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but she'd been so hurt that she was scared of what the future held.

"He makes a good father," Monica whispered. Trina smiled and slowly nodded. "Victoria is a sweetheart as well." The hell they endured wasn't for the faint of heart, so it was amazing that Victoria came out of it as well as she had.

She rubbed her left shoulder and drew in a deep breath. "I don't want to say we were 'lucky', but just the fact that Andre, Cat and Robbie weren't bad…" Even Gary was difficult to call evil. "I didn't know one person could hate their spouse's kid so much. I'm a little nervous having Jesse's baby, I don't want him to forget Victoria. I want both my children to be loved equally."

Monica moved her wrinkled hand over Trina's and smiled warmly at her. "I understand." It was true that Jesse didn't seem the type to either pick favorites or suddenly grow weary of the kid that wasn't his. She didn't want to smear him in her mind because of Holly. "It's difficult to put your trust in someone after what you've gone through. Just take it a step at a time, dear."

"There's Sinjin I have to deal with too, or at least Haley. I didn't think Haley would be the one wanting a connection to be made. Victoria deserves to know her birth father." Her heart stalled and she turned her gaze to Monica. "I don't want her going through life wondering…"

"She won't. If you don't let her, then she won't." Monica took her by the hand and smiled tenderly at her. Trina rolled her head onto Monica's shoulder and carefully swept away the tears in her eyes. "What else is on your mind, sweetheart?"

"That trial. I don't know what to do. I don't want to go, to sit there and recall all those memories. I-I can't. I have to, though." Monica moved her arm around her and held her close. As they sat in silence, she watched Jesse push Victoria on the swing. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

She would go up on the witness stand and she would testify. Even for Cat, she would testify. Cat's lawyer hoped to garner support from a grand jury, but it seemed clear that the girl was going to receive some jail time. Trina hoped it wouldn't be much, or at least, not as long as Holly might receive.

After several minutes, Victoria ran over and pulled Monica away to play. Trina used this opportunity to call Jesse over. "How are you feeling?" He sat down beside her and she slowly curled her fingers around his hand.

"I'm scared. I don't know what the future holds, and I'm terrified." She leaned upright and looked into his wondrous and comforting gaze. "Jesse. Victoria is my world, my everything. After Holly, I…I don't want you to divide your attention between our children." He smiled reassuringly at her and brought his other hand over hers.

"I won't. Victoria will be as much my daughter as the baby you're carrying now." She felt her heart skip and let herself lean into him, hugging him close. It was still going to be difficult for her, but knowing Jesse was there for her was enough to start her on the right path.

"She already looks up to you so much, I don't want her to ever have her heart broken because you're not her real father." Her hand tensed around his and she drew in a slow breath of air. "Speaking of which. I need to call the number Haley gave us."

"Are you sure? If you're not ready, you shouldn't push yourself." This was the issue though. If she didn't, then she might never decide to call them. She was scared enough as it was, and already knew Haley was the one reaching out.

"Haley's the one extending the olive branch. If I don't take it, then it's on me." The woman may have said initially that Trina should take as much time as necessary, but she still had to be realistic in understanding that none of them were going to wait around forever. "Besides, they're an ocean away for god knows how long. It isn't like they can do us any damage from there."

"That is true." She was going to try to trust Haley-it wasn't her that Haley was hard on in high school so much as it was Tori. "Just be careful, but I think you know that already."

This she was going to do without Tori, since any animosity Tori might display towards Haley would only cause Victoria and herself some undue stress. So an hour later, she was with Jesse, Monica and Victoria on a laptop in a small coffee shop.

The best place she thought to be during a conversation like this.

Victoria had climbed into her lap and was sitting between her arms while grasping the table with her tiny fingers. Haley first appeared on Skype wearing a sun hat and shades. "You would think it wouldn't be as hot as it is here," Haley complained first, "But I kid you not-backpacking across Europe is hotter than I would have liked."

Trina copped up a smile and Victoria looked up at her. "Is that my stepmother, mama?" Haley removed her sunglasses and gazed at the computer with a serene expression.

"Almost. You're Victoria?" The woman waved and Victoria waved back. "It's good to meet you finally." Victoria's face scrunched and she wiggled her nose.

"We met already."

Trina stifled a laugh and watched Haley's eyebrows slide upwards. "That's true." The woman chuckled and closed her eyes. "I wasn't behaving right that day, and I'm sorry."

"Aunt Tori called you a name that she said I shouldn't repeat." Haley laughed while Victoria studied this woman carefully. "Why are you on the computer?"

"Well first your aunt is most likely correct that you shouldn't repeat certain words. Also, I'm on the computer because your dad is on an archeological expedition."

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's exploring all the other continents of the world to find incredibly old and historical items. Such as dinosaur fossils. Have you ever heard of dinosaur fossils?"

Victoria's head tilted to the right and Trina gave her daughter a smile. "I've heard a little bit, but not much. There's still a lot I don't know. I was in a very bad place for most of my life."

"I heard." Haley's lips fell and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "It is good that you and your mommy are safe now." Victoria bounced in Trina's lap and nodded. "Would you like to meet your dad? He can tell you all you want to know about dinosaur fossils, bones, and other ancient artifacts."

"Articats?" Victoria cleared her throat and shook her head. "Facts?"

"Yes." Trina slid her arms down and hugged her daughter's waist, holding her in place when she had been sliding. On screen, Haley looked over her computer and started waving.

When Sinjin appeared beside Haley, Trina's heart stopped. She had been preparing herself for this moment, but even now, she could hardly speak. Part of her did want to yell at him for not waiting, but she didn't blame him for moving on. A person could only wait so long before they were forced to cave to their fears.

"Hello Trina," Sinjin replied softly, "I'm glad you're safe." Sinjin's eyes focused on Victoria and his lips turned up into a tiny smile. "And Victoria. I only saw you for a second-it didn't take me long to figure out what Tori was doing in my office, I just didn't know why."

"I'd only just found out," Trina replied. She didn't want this to be about her, but she knew he would be expecting an explanation for why he never knew. "I hadn't gotten to you before my mom got me. I want you to know I'm not upset that you moved on."

Sinjin moved his hand to his chest and furrowed his brow. "I didn't know you were alive. Everyone, the police, and even Tori were starting to lose hope. I know she never gave up, and I didn't either, but I couldn't keep hoping…I had to live my life."

The tears welled up in her eyes and she waved him off. "That's fine. I've moved on myself, so there's no worry there."

"I am glad you're okay, Trina. Haley and I both are."

"Tori told me she was on bad terms with you guys, but I don't want to start off on bad terms. I have-I need to know that you're going to be an active force in your daughter's life, even though you and I aren't together."

"I will be, you have my word on that."

Haley agreed and cleared her throat to catch their attention. "And if he doesn't, I will make sure he does." Trina laughed once and stared down at her daughter. Victoria was shifting about impatiently and slowly tapping her fingers on the table. "Right, so, Sinjin…Victoria would like to know what ancient artifacts are! Have you found anything yet?"

"Oh you know what? I think…" He grabbed a brown duffel bag from the ground and set it in his lap. Trina watched happily as Victoria leaned forward as though trying to look as Sinjin went through it. "I might have something in here." He pulled out a dusty looking lantern with seaweed on it. "Okay so it's not ancient or historical-but since we just landed, this is the only thing I've found so far." He laughed nervously and Victoria's face scrunched.

"It's just an old thingy."

"It's a lantern." Sinjin held up a finger and Haley sighed. "I found it floating beneath a dock here in London. Lanterns are used to light the way at night and-"

"Sinjin dear." Haley put her hand to his shoulder and he looked over curiously. "You're boring the poor girl." Trina brought her fingers up to her lips and waited as Haley removed an old looking coin from her purse. "Here. Victoria, do you see this?" She held it up to the screen and Victoria leaned forward, her mouth formed an oval and she reached out to grip the side of the screen.

"Is that a quarter?"

"No ma'am." It was a slightly round, bronze colored coin with a woman on it. This woman had a strange, curvy nose and small chin, and her hair looked to be in a bun of some sort. When she flipped the coin over, there was a birdlike creature on the back. "My father was an adventurer himself, and he was given this coin as a gift one day. He gave it to me, and I keep it for luck."

"It's a coin, but not a quarter? It isn't a penny or nickel."

"It's an ancient Egyptian coin, and one of the few authentic coins left that show the actual Cleopatra." Victoria gasped delightedly and Sinjin bowed his head. "Now how much of history did you learn about over the years?"

"Some." Victoria's voice was quick and energetic now, and it seemed that Haley would be taking over this chat. "I know about Anthony too."

"Would you like to hear the full story?" Victoria nodded emphatically and Haley began to speak, holding the child's attention throughout.

This was more than Holly had ever done for her, so Trina was grateful. At this point, she was starting to feel like Sinjin and Haley may very well be a positive influence in Victoria's life in the future.

It was a step in the right direction, but the hell wasn't over yet. Not until she knew that Holly could never harm her or Victoria again. Even then, the nightmares didn't feel like they would ever go away.

Perhaps they would, but only with the progress of time.

* * *

Well what are your thoughts? It seems very much like Sinjin and Haley will be good for Victoria, even though they can't be physically present at the time. Things are certainly beginning to get better, slowly but surely.


	41. Plea Bargains

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 41 (Plea Bargains)

"No." Holly sat across from her defense lawyer and tapped her long nails on the table. "I'm not taking a plea bargain." The sharp-dressed dark haired lawyer was trying to convince her to take a plea to save time and possibly get a shorter sentence, but she didn't need it. "Honestly I have no doubt the jury's going to sympathize."

"What part of you thinks that a jury is going to find you not guilty?" Wasn't it the attorney's job to help get her out of trouble? She folded her arms and turned her head away from him, slowly and emphatically. The lawyer sighed and gestured with his hands in the air. "Listen Holly, there is only so much a defense attorney can do when the client is guilty. All the evidence and testimonies the prosecutor has stacked up against you-you are a mother who has kept her daughter locked in a basement for nearly a decade-the least I can do is work with you to get a lighter sentence."

She lifted her right hand and pat off her arm, huffing at him. "Tell the judge, I want another lawyer."

"That attorney is only going to tell you the same thing. Cut a deal, if this goes to trial, you will most likely be given the death penalty. That is what the prosecutor will be shooting for. I can at least get you down to life in prison." The attorney brought his hands to his sweat covered face and slid them down his cheeks with a heavy sigh. "Maybe an insanity defense."

"Insanity? I am most certainly not insane." Holly leaned forward and poked a finger at him. "I tell you this, that insufferable bitch had it coming to her." The man jerked back and gripped the chair firmly. "I only regret having the sense and decency not to kill that bitch and keep her locked up for the duration of my life that she ruined." The man's eyes grew as Holly smirked. "Besides, everyone knows the American judicial system doesn't kill their death row inmates right away, I'll have at least twenty years before they decide to execute me…"

Holly curled her fingernails inwards and stared down at the red acrylic nails. Her voice lowered and a subtle cackle escaped her lips. "I'll likely be dead before that time even comes, so life in prison versus death sentence hardly matters to me."

The man tugged on his tie and looked over his shoulder, muttering to himself about how he wished he had gone ahead to be a prosecutor rather than a defense lawyer. "Do you not even know who the prosecutor is that you're going up against?"

"Does it matter? I heard he was the brother of that kid with the webshow some years ago. Didn't he drop out?"

"Ma'am, Spencer Shay finished his law degree in 2012 and is now one of the foremost prosecuting attorneys in the nation. Your own daughter and ex-husband managed to get him hired for the job. If you don't at least try to plea bargain, you stand no chance of getting a lighter sentence."

"I'll get a lighter sentence, now don't you worry. There's no way a jury is going to convict me." She put her fingernails to her chest and started to laugh. "_I_ was the wronged woman here."

The lawyer was trying to remain calm, but now his hair had become a mess and his tie was undone. The sweat dampened his shirt collar and he was bent over with a hand to his forehead. "Take a plea bargain and you do not have to go to trial. I'm begging you, if you go to trial, that prosecutor will tear you apart before a grand jury. This is also a high profile case, do you know what that means? It means you will be on national television-you stand no chance of having an innocent verdict."

"I want a new lawyer."

"Fine. You need one…" The attorney rose and grabbed his briefcase from the desk. "I don't think you understand what is at stake. Don't think that just because you're a little old lady in a wheelchair that the prosecutor isn't going to eat you alive."

She smiled at him and set her right cheek against her curled fingers. "Are we done here?" The attorney huffed and stormed away, leaving her to sit and wonder why anyone would think she would be in the wrong. After all, she was the one who lost several years of her life. Now Gary was dead, Andre was gone, and Trina freed.

She straightened her back and narrowed her eyes. "I'm the victim, and I'll convince any jury of that myself if I need to."

In another part of town, Cat consulted with her lawyer while Sam waited for her outside. Her lawyer was a young woman around her age with shoulder length blonde hair. "So essentially, Megan, I can avoid a trial if I take a plea of guilty?" Cat stretched her hands out on the table and puckered her lips. "To an accessory charge?"

"Yes." Megan shifted her teardrop glasses up her nose while holding onto her calm smile. "You see sweetie, here's how it works." The woman cupped her hands together and leaned forward on the table, looking Cat directly in the eyes. "While duress is something we can use, it explains the situation but doesn't excuse it."

"Okay." She wasn't too thrilled with any jail time, but whatever she could do to get the least amount of time possible would be great.

"We can prove that you were captive and forced as well, and Trina is willing to testify on your behalf. Her daughter has given a court ordered testimony to a lawyer in a private session, so these things can help you. You've cooperated, and that will help. Now, if you were to testify against Holly, it is possible-but you understand that you have a different trial, unless you were to take a plea agreement."

She furrowed her brow and dropped her hands to her lap. The thought of sitting on the witness stand and recounting years of horror was scary, but if it would help her in any way, she'd do it. "I'm pregnant too."

Megan nodded and smiled pleasantly. "That actually is a tremendous help. Would you like to hear the plea agreement I have drafted for you?" She curled her fingers into her palm and bit her lower lip as the woman opened her briefcase. "It is very simple-and if we don't go this route and try to use the duress defense, it is very difficult to do."

"Okay. Let's hear what the plea bargain is." She leaned forward and swallowed a heavy lump of air in her throat. She was ready to hear and hoped that she would be granted the best chance available.

Megan and Cat would meet with the judge to discuss the bargain which she agreed to. "In exchange to a plea of guilty, Catherine Valentine will serve out the remainder of her term on house arrest, plus eighteen months. In total, Catherine Valentine agrees to six years of probation."

This was one of the lighter sentences she was going to be able to get, and the most likely to have the judge accept. With this, she would be able to keep and raise her baby, and Sam even agreed to help her out.

Judge Robert read through the arrangement and with each passing second, Cat began to grow more and more nervous. "May I make a suggested change?" He asked. Cat's heart leapt to her throat and Megan nodded. "I would like to lower the amount of probation time from six years to four years." Her hand flew to her chest and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Yes, your honor."

"Effective immediately." Judge Robert laid down the paperwork and turned his eyes to Cat. "You are hereby charged with twenty four months of house arrest, and a total of four years of probation. I will assign you a probation officer, and we will go over the terms."

Cat stumbled over her words and fought to speak up, but she was just too relieved to know that she wouldn't be going to prison and she wouldn't be losing her baby. "Y-Yes your Honor, thank you." She wiped her eyes and stood with the lawyer and judge.

Meanwhile, Holly still wasn't accepting any plea agreements and was still determined to prove her innocence in trial. She'd already fired three lawyers before she found one willing to defend her. This lawyer was going to try and garner sympathy from the jurors, to attempt to suggest they have no reason to send a defenseless old woman to prison.

Then on the day of trial, she was guided through the corridors of courthouse, ready and eager to reach that much coveted verdict. News cameras were all over the place and the lights flashing before her eyes was disorienting.

Still she did her best to put on the face of a meek old woman. The lawyer that wheeled her forward was a slack-jawed defense attorney fresh out of law school. He knew his way around the books and could spin one hell of a story from his lips.

"How many years have you had actually trying cases?" Holly looked up at the sandy haired man and wondered the age old question of what was more powerful: Knowledge versus experience.

"Three ma'am," The attorney replied. "I will get you that freedom you want." If she got a guilty verdict, she would appeal the case. Sure, appeals were only won if there were an error in due process, so it was unlikely she'd be able to appeal a case where everyone did everything right.

Surely, if she ended with a guilty verdict, it meant her lawyer didn't fight hard enough for her. "You're young, you're fresh and new, and you know all the laws in the book. This case should be open and shut."

They entered the courtroom and as she was wheeled through the pews, she could see the prosecutor already at his desk. The man was tall and wearing a sharp black suit and black slacks. His hair was slicked back behind his ears and his piercing brown eyes seemed to burn her on the spot.

"That's the prosecutor you're going up against," The lawyer said quietly, "Spencer Shay. He's got at least twelve years under his belt, studies the law every year, and as tried over a thousand cases. He's put many behind bars and many on death row." Spencer's eyes narrowed upon her and his nostrils flared out. The lawyer gripped her handlebars tightly and his voice began to tremble. "Some prosecutors handle between eight hundred and one thousand cases a year."

"Okay?"

"He's kept a steady flow of one thousand per year, give or take a few depending on various legal factors. So he's had about twelve to thirteen thousand cases in his career. He's only ever lost five percent…"

"How many is that?"

"Not many. Six hundred to six-fifty. Total." So the prosecutor lost that many. She wasn't so nervous now. "Going through law school, I had several lawyers, defense and prosecutor that I looked up to-idolized even. Mr. Shay was one of them. It's truly an honor…Win or lose, it is an honor."

"Don't get star-struck on me now, kid. I'm sure he's not that great."

"You don't understand, I'm going to have to utilize everything in my books to make sure we win this thing. Going up against Mr. Shay? He's got a nasty track record for ending cases quickly…Now it's far too late to take the plea agreements."

Spencer's poisonous gaze sharpened and he glanced away for a second to peer down at the gold watch on his wrist. It was time for this young, know-it-all lawyer to best his idol and grant her a victory.

* * *

So...show of hands who all thinks that Holly should have taken a plea bargain? As for Cat, unfortunately it is how the law works-she would not be able to be let off scot free, but fortunately for her that's where plea bargaining helps. Now, who all thinks that Holly and her fresh out of law school lawyer is about to get slaughtered in court? I'd say we should all place bets and wagers, but any financial wagers are illegal. So, digital kudos who votes Holly's going to win on her 'crippled defenseless old woman' defense? Now who thinks the prosecutor is going to make it rain Hellfire in the courtroom and take her to the full extent of the law? Also, who remembers the little surprise that may be awaiting Holly at the end of this trial, win or lose?


	42. Justice is Served

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: In this chapter it's the court trial, I tried to think of who to use for perspective in here but I decided to go with the prosecutor since we know him as a character. He will be the only minor character whose perspective is to be used.

* * *

Chapter 42 (Justice is Served)

"In this case we are trying the defendant for kidnapping, murder, fraud, extortion…" Spencer stood before the jury, his back erect and his arms were spread out as he gave his opening statement. "Mrs. Holly Malone held her ex-husband's daughter captive for ten years in the basement of her home. She is charged with the abduction of Robert Shapiro, Andre Harris, and Catherine Valentine-forcing them against their will to carry out a number of crimes."

He moved to the right, tapping his fingertips together. "Members of the jury, this woman has been charged with the murders of Robert Shapiro and his mother, as well as his sister and niece. She has been charged with multiple counts attempted murder. She has been charged with extorting money from the both companies she and her husband worked at, using this money to keep a low profile."

"A mother." Spencer turned towards Holly and locked his wrists behind his back while slowly walking forwards. "A grandmother. Two titles we associate with nurture, love, care, kindess…I ask for no mercy and am fighting for the fullest punishment of the law."

He returned to his seat and grabbed his documents on the desk while the defense lawyer rose to give an opening statement. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury." The lawyer's voice trembled. It was slight, but Spencer could still detect it. To him, it was a sign of early victory-this lawyer knew his case was unwinnable. He smirked coldly as Holly turned her deadly gaze onto him.

"Does this woman look like a woman capable of the crimes that she is accused?" The lawyer motioned his hand to Holly and shook his head. "She is a small, meek, and elderly woman who does not hold a great deal of upper body strength. I challenge you through this trial to think, to understand, and know that this harmless old lady could not have committed her crimes."

Spencer bent his elbow on his table and curled his index finger over his chin. He raised an eyebrow at the lawyer and shut his eyes.

When this trial was over with, he was going to have to give this young attorney tips on building an opening statement. Lawyers weren't always enemies outside the courtroom, they tried to assist one another, but in the courtroom, the gloves come off.

He stood when the attorney was finished, then gripped firmly the edges of his jacket. "My first piece of evidence that I would like to give to the court." He grabbed a remote from the desk and pointed at the projector aiming at a screen. What appeared were the pictures of the basement where Trina and her daughter had been kept. "Here you can see the conditions of the cell, clearly lived in…"

Spencer aimed a laser pointer to the image, focusing the red dot where he needed the jury to see. "The steel beds with mild disturbed sheets, and the food trays given to the victims." He changed to a photo of Trina and a photo of Victoria, both taken when they were malnourished.

The judge asked the lawyer how he stood on defense. "While we acknowledge the victim was kept there, we still do not see that it proves my client masterminded the kidnapping or any of the murders." Spencer raised an eyebrow and waited for the attorney to present some evidence that would show that Holly did not mastermind anything.

Moving past the physical evidence, and the photos of anything that had been used to strike the victims, Spencer was able to show that no matter how frail Holly was, she could very well have tortured and manipulated her victims.

This could be solidified with the first witness he brought to the stand, Cat Valentine. Spencer approached the girl and kept his calm expression. "Miss Valentine, how well did you know the defendant?"

"I was friends with her daughter. Tori and Trina would often complain about her verbal abuse and aggressive demeanor."

"Would you say that the girls were afraid of their mother?"

"I believe they were. Trina did everything she could to avoid Holly-I remember." Cat's eyes closed and she began to shake. "I-I remember when she took me, she said if I didn't stay with her, she would kill my family." Spencer's eyebrows rose and he turned towards the jury.

"She threatened to kill your family? Did she make these threats often?"

"She did, and she carried them out too. If she didn't carry them out, she would force Andre or Robbie to." Cat began to tear up, and her voice trembled further as all eyes were upon her. "She held the gun to Robbie's mother when he refused to help. She pulled the trigger, I was standing right there when she killed Mrs. Shapiro!" Cat practically screamed the final words and Spencer was blown away.

"'She pulled the trigger'." Spencer clicked his tongue and paced to the right. "'She threatened to kill our families'." He looked at Cat and hummed for a brief second. "I must ask you, does Holly seem capable of the crimes she is accused of?"

"She's very capable." Cat's eyes narrowed and her tearful voice swelled with anger. "She manipulated Gary with sex. She had us afraid that if we tried to escape she would either kill us or our family members. We lived our lives in terror! Afraid that every day might be our last!"

The defense was next, and the lawyer went up to cross-examine. "Miss Valentine. Is it not true that Gary Malone was a large and imposing man? Could he not have forced Holly's hand?" Cat scoffed and quickly shook her head.

"That man was the reason we-and Victoria-were kept alive. He didn't think a little girl should be hurt and he was able to talk Holly into not hurting her. In the end, Holly wanted to have the girl killed, so Andre and I ended up finding a way to free her-but it was Holly that tied her to that branch over the creek where she was found."

"I…" Spencer smirked as the defense attorney fumbled over his questions. For a fresh attorney, this man still had much to learn. However it was to his understanding that Holly had already gone through a number of defense attorneys. "Now to my understanding, you were present when Mr. Harris shot and killed Mr. Shapiro's sister. Mr. Harris was the one who masterminded the escape and rescue-"

"The rescue happened when Andre finally called from within the mansion. He made a decision to lose his life to save us. Any lives he took were because that woman forced him to take a life."

"What changed, Miss Valentine?"

"What changed was his discovering that his relatives were already _dead_." The lawyer hummed as Cat's eyes narrowed. "She couldn't threaten to kill his family when they were already gone. He was the one to talk Gary into letting Trina spend time with the officer, and when he found out she was pregnant, he immediately called the cops."

"In doing that, did he not risk your lives as well?"

"He did what he had to do to get us out of there. Andre isn't on trial here, the woman responsible for his death is." Cat pointed to Holly and started to raise her voice. "That woman has said time and time again over the years that she hated Trina, that she wanted to keep her for a certain amount of years before killing her."

"Was it not Robert that abducted the victim?"

"Robert was held at gunpoint." Cat smacked the podium and her puffy eyes were red from the tears.

"I see." The lawyer returned to his desk with a sigh. "I've no more questions for the witness." He had no witness to present, which was unfortunate. Spencer was hardly surprised, given the lack of time for preparation before the trial.

He decided to request of the judge a recess so the lawyer could have more time, and the motion was approved. When they met again, Spencer called Trina up to the stand.

This was difficult and he did want to minimize trauma to her, but she was to be key in this case. "Trina Vega, here's what I would like for you to do." Spencer looked into her eyes and flared his nostrils momentarily. "Tell me who it was that masterminded your kidnapping, who was it that kept you locked up in that dungeon and forced you to give birth to your child in a cold cell. I know it's difficult to do, but tell the court so we can achieve justice today."

"I will." Trina looked at Holly and her voice broke. "I've been so afraid of her all my life. She hated me because I wasn't her child, I was dad's child. She would say I wasn't…I wasn't anybody, I wasn't worth anything." Tears shot down the girl's face as she continued her testimony.

When Spencer looked to the jury, he saw them struggling to hold back their own tears. "A mother is supposed to take care of their child, right?" Trina asked. "Even when she's not blood? Don't let her fool you, she's a demon-a monster!"

Trina's testimony consisted of the horrors inflicted upon her and her daughter. Several times Holly would strike them, curse them, and tell them they should be dead. It was usually Andre that tried to stop things before they got out of hand.

Cross-examination was difficult to watch as the lawyer tried to suggest that Trina had things wrong and that Gary might be the real demon. Trina remained firm that it was all Holly's doing.

In order to combat the Gary argument, Spencer had one last witness to call, and that was the man who was with Gary upon death. David informed the court that Gary in fact told him it was Holly's doing.

To Spencer's surprise, and secret pleasure, the defense lawyer called the defendant herself to the stand. Every lawyer that went up against Spencer knew they were taking a risk by giving him the defendant.

He knew how to twist a defendant to the brink with his questions, and it was the ones like Holly that he had the most fun with.

Holly played it cool as he expected, weeping over the people assuming she could hurt anyone. She said Gary was the monster, then tried to claim that Andre had taken over and was the one to inflict damage on the girls-despite the prior recording of Victoria declaring that Andre was a 'knight' who protected her and her mother.

As Spencer walked up to cross-examine the woman, his lips twisted into a deadly and cunning smirk. "Mrs. Malone, do you deny that you are under oath?" Holly swept her hand through her hair and shook her head.

"I do not."

"You then claim all of the witnesses so far are lying? For each of them has stated explicitly that Andre Harris was a protector, not a torturer." Holly leaned her head back and squinted her eyes. "Also, would you read this statement that you have given the police?"

"Gladly."

He placed the document in front of her and she peered down, muttering for a moment before she was encouraged to read with the Judge looking over her. "Word for word if you please, Mrs. Malone."

"That son of a bitch was always guarding those whores. The redhead was sweet on him, so of course I knew she and Andre were screwing around. Then he would keep me from striking the slut in the basement. He was trouble, and I knew forcing him was…" Holly trailed off, but Spencer already had more than enough.

He could see her beginning to sweat, but he was not yet finished with her. "Do you deny that in your statement to the police, you admit to being the one to strike Trina? Do you also deny telling the police that Andre served as a protector of the girls?"

He had her in a corner on this one. If she said no, then she would admit to lying under oath just now. If she said yes, she'd have to admit to lying to the police. "I did not say in this statement that he was a protector, I said in the statement that he would keep me from hitting Trina-and I will acknowledge that I have hit her."

"You acknowledge hitting her?"

"Yes."

Spencer grabbed the statement and held it up. "Is this statement you gave the police solid?" Holly crossed her arms and shrugged.

"Everything I've told the police and everything I am telling you is the truth."

"Why?" Spencer folded his arms and looked comfortably into her eyes. He furrowed his brow and raised his hand to his chin. "Why did you want to hit this girl?"

"Because she deserved it." Now he was getting somewhere. A person with this mentality would often state their view because they did not feel they were in error. They expected the people to sympathize with them, but in the court of law, they would have none. "She was a little tramp who stole away all the attention that I should have gotten from her father. So I wanted her to suffer, I wanted her to feel the pain and suffering that she put me through."

"You wanted her to _suffer_." Spencer turned around and made eye contact with the defense lawyer. The lawyer's hand was over his mouth and his eyes were clenched shut.

They just lost the case.

He was by no means finished. Now that the knife was in, he was going to dig it further. He wanted to rile her up, get her active and angry, make her think this was about her.

"You hated that-you called her a 'tramp'?" Holly nodded as Spencer turned back around. "You just had to get her back, is that it? You wanted to teach her a lesson?"

"She needed to be taught a lesson." Holly slammed her fist on the podium and started to raise her voice. "When she got knocked up like the whore she is, I knew I was going to be out of the picture. How dare she get pregnant, how dare she cause me the pain! So yes, _I_ wanted her to suffer."

"Why not Gary? You told the court he was the monster, what did he have against Trina?"

"Gary? He didn't have anything against her." Holly laughed and shook her head, seemingly forgetting that she was in the courtroom. "He wanted nothing to do with it, but I told him-I told that fool-he knew too much and I could destroy him." Holly narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "And do you know what else? Those friends of my daughter, they didn't get along with Trina, and they were weak. Simple-minded…All I had to do was force them to do what I wanted, and I'd have my way. If only Andre kept his trap shut."

Spencer continued to let her rant, keeping his calm while smirking inwardly. The woman grew heated on the stand, and soon shouted profanities and confessing to the question on everyone's mind: Who masterminded it all.

"I have no further questions." Spencer returned to his seat and smirked as Holly's chest heaved and she began huffing erratically. It took her a minute to realize what happened, and when she did, her jaw dropped and her eyes grew large.

Soon it was time for the closing statements. The defense went first, but Spencer had a good feeling there was no chance in hell his words would be heard. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask that you take another look at this woman. It is up to you to decide if she would have had the capability of masterminding, manipulating, and forcing three grown men to detain two women for so long. I urge you to consider very strongly whether or not she is capable of the accusations."

Spencer approached the jury and sighed. "Nurture, love, care…these are some of the qualities a mother should have for their child. They should protect at all costs, and do what they can to preserve the lives of their children." He paced to the right and kept eye contact with every juror. "This woman is charged with breaking every one of these promises, charged with kidnapping and murder. I ask that you bring justice to the victims wronged in this case. I ask that you do your civic duty, ladies and gentlemen of the jury-and if you can keep a criminal from walking the streets do so as you see fit. The fate of this woman, whom I think we've seen is more than capable of such heinous acts, rests in your hands. Do _not_ take this decision lightly."

In the audience, Tori waited patiently for the jury to deliberate. She was amazed by the power that was in the courtroom, and hoped that the jurors would see fit to charge this woman as she deserved.

But the fight wasn't over, and Holly would soon discover that she had another battle to be fought. Strings were already being pulled, and no matter what, there was no way Holly would be spending her prison years in a 'luxurious' American prison.

The jury didn't take long to reach a verdict. When they returned, the head juror rose and began counting the charges. "We the members of the jury find the defendant, Holly Malone, guilty on all counts of first degree murder. We find her guilty on four counts of kidnapping, three counts of attempted murder, and extortion. We hereby suggest capital punishment."

Tori closed her eyes and a great weight fell from her shoulders. Holly was sentenced to death, but it still wasn't satisfactory enough for her. Only because she knew that death sentence would never be carried out in the states, not with her mother's age.

Still, she wanted justice for Rico, who was still in that coma.

Leaving the courthouse, she waited for her mother to exit. Holly was seen wheeling out with the police, she had a smug grin on her face. "We all know I'll just appeal and get lighter sentences," Holly marveled, "Come on. America loves it's prisoners!"

"Holly," Tori said from afar. Beside her was a Mexican squad car, with officers ready to extradite her. Holly turned her head and smiled at Tori.

"Ah Tori, you've got your justice. I'm being carted away to prison! I wonder what luxurious living conditions I'll be placed in?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"What, dear?" Holly's smile faded when the Mexican officer began to approach her, holding up the photo of Jade's mother. "Oh you have got to be shitting me. You found that connection?"

"Holly Malone," the officer stated in a thick Mexican accent. Holly brought her hand up over her eyes and Tori smirked. "You are under arrest…"

"Say goodbye to whatever dreams of luxury you had," Tori snarled. Holly growled at her and huffed angrily. "I think you're going to find Mexican prisons aren't exactly inmate-friendly. Adios."

She turned around and walked away from the woman now screaming at her. Her heart was filled with wonder and relief, but still she was missing something. Rico had not awakened yet, though the doctors seemed to feel he would.

Now with Holly going to Mexico, and Trina safe and sound, all she could do was wait for Rico and she'd be all set.

* * *

There is one final chapter. As for the trial, I do hope you enjoyed it-it was clearly an open and shut case, and Holly certainly didn't expect the murder of Jade's mother to come back at her. Looks like she won't be spending her last lives in any type of comfort, she will live the remainder of her days as Trina had been forced to live. Well, what did you think of everything? Superstar attorney, the case was fairly easy for him.


	43. Whole Again

Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 43 (Whole Again)

"It's over." Tori set her hand over Rico's and reached over with her other hand to comb her fingers through his hair. "I wish you were awake to see it." It felt like it had been so long that she wasn't sure if he would ever wake. The more she considered that possibility, the more her heart would break.

"I guess in the end Holly had to take something from me, whether it was my sister or you." Part of her wanted to march over to the Mexican prisons herself and kill the woman herself. It was at the point she questioned why she bothered letting Holly live that day. "Sometimes doing the right thing sucks, Rico." The tears in her eyes fell like rivers over her cheeks and framed the tip of her lips, beckoning her to sweep them away with her tongue.

She leaned over him and her voice began to break. "I'm falling apart. Even with Trina back, I honestly don't know how to go on. You have to pull through this." She dropped her head to Rico's chest and her body started to tremble. "You have to pull through. I-I did the right thing. I didn't kill that woman, I wanted to-god knows I wanted to, but I didn't."

No matter the days that passed, this was routine now. She fought desperately not to give up hope. "It's getting harder, Rico. I've tried so hard to keep fighting, so hard to believe you're going to wake up." Her shoulders and body sank as she threw her head to the sky, screaming out at whatever god was there. "What do you want from me? What is it going to take? I've done everything I could…"

The tough façade she put on eroded, and all of her vulnerability seemed to show itself where it once was hidden away. Tori's hand slid across Rico's chest and she closed her eyes. She trembled while rising to her feet and sniffed in the air. "I guess I should accept it, Rico. There's a chance you won't wake up, and I won't give believing you'll wake, but…I can't keep going on like this. I just can't." As she said the final words, a sob shook from her and saliva spat from the buildup in her mouth.

She moved her hand up over her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers. "I can't do it." Tori lowered her hand and turned around. "I love you, Rico. So much. But I can't keep coming here, I can't keep torturing myself…I'm sorry."

She started for the door and stopped before the frame. Her hand rested on the side and she looked over her shoulder with a whimper. The only man she'd ever truly cared about, and Holly took him from her. "It isn't fair. It's not fair that I should lose."

Tori stepped out of the door and moved her thumb up and across her left eye. "Who said you had to?" Her body froze as the door struck the back of her right foot. "Mi Amor?" Her eyes shot open and she spun around, throwing her hands over her mouth, catching a gasp when she saw Rico's own gaze looking at her.

His lips were pressed together and his fingers closed inwards, grasping tightly at the bed sheet. His chest rose slowly and Rico let out a subtle groan. "I love you too, Tori."

Without another word, she rushed to his side and threw her arms around him, lightening her grip only when she heard him grunt. "God." Then it hit her, he must have been awake for some time and she didn't know it. Her heart jumped and she slid upwards a bit. "How long have you been awake? How much did you hear?" Rico slid his lips into a smirk and raised his eyebrows.

"Long enough." He raised his hand up and caressed her blushing cheek. "Long enough to see the vulnerable side of you that you don't let out…and I love it."

"It's hideous."

"It is beautiful, every part of you is." She rolled her eyes and helped him to sit up. She moved beside him, cuddling close to his body and holding him. She buried her face into his shoulder and wept. "I am glad that you found your sister, and glad that the trials are over with." He paused and his eyebrow rose. "They are over, are they not?"

She brought her head up and blew out a swift breath of air. "Yes. She was found guilty, then extradited to Mexico. Jade's mother had been murdered there, killed by Holly."

"So much has happened. You will have to tell me everything."

"I will." She wiped her eyes and slid off the bed. First, she needed to get the nurses. She gazed at him and felt a wave of relief and joy sweeping over her. Finally, she was sure she could be happy. "Let me tell the doctor you're awake." Tori folded her arms and drew in another swift breath. "I was about to chase down that old friend of yours and tell her you were a good guy now, if you didn't wake up."

"Ooh." Rico cringed and started to chuckle. "The Stewarts? Please don't, I have a reputation to uphold and rather like them thinking I grew up a scoundrel." He dropped his hand to his stomach and shrugged. "But then, I suppose you'd just have to look and see what the girl grew up to be-maybe my not being a scoundrel is a good thing."

He smiled at her and melted away the tension inside. She dropped her arms and closed her eyes. "God, I-I was so scared."

"It's okay, I'm awake now. I love you." His eyes dropped down to her hand and he pointed a finger at her. The smirk on his face increased and she brought her hand up in surprise. "Is that the ring I bought you?" Fresh tears flooded her eyes and she quickly nodded, causing him to drop his hand and sigh. "Ah what a time for a marriage proposal, no?"

"You should know. I accept. Everyone knows about us-I wish I'd told them sooner, Rico. I-"

"It's fine. As long as you're happy."

"I-I'll grab the nurse…."

He was processed and sent on his way, so when all was said and done, Tori was able to finally explain everything that happened. He was surprised by some of the news, but overall, thrilled that everything seemed to work out for the better.

Everybody was waiting for them when they got to the house, and needless to say, there was not a dry eye to be had. Even Trina had tears of joy while meeting the man that was to be her brother-in-law.

As the celebration went on, Tori was able to step out onto the back patio with Trina so they could have some time to themselves. "I'll be glad when things calm down a bit," Tori said, "I'm not used to it all." She looked to her sister with a bright smile and crossed her arms. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"I wish you'd stop asking me that. I'm fine." Trina walked forward and looked up to the orange sky. "You know something? I've never noticed how beautiful the sunset is." Tori looked sideways at the sky and let herself relax as the warm wind blew across her face. "It's not something I ever thought about, and not something I ever really wondered about missing."

"There are a ton of other things that I guess could catch a person's attention. It's easy to miss a sunset." The setting sun didn't mean much to her, despite the beauty of it, but she understood the value and impact it had on Trina. "It is important to slow down and take it in, though."

"It takes me back to when we were little girls, and we'd run around together, getting into all sorts of trouble." Tori smirked as her sister bowed her head. "I missed those days most, and I always wanted Victoria to be able to experience that life. Now she can."

"Yeah." She walked up beside Trina and moved an arm around the girl's shoulder. "And you too, you and I can work on getting back some lost years."

Trina's gaze tore from the ground and she looked at Tori with concern. "Do you really think it's possible? Things can't be back to normal, not the way they were before."

"No, but we'll have to find a new normal. All of us, but we don't have to do it alone." She looked back at the glass doors and watched the celebrations. "Me, Rico...You, Jesse and Victoria….Jade and Beck, everyone's got somebody to make it through this-and also, we've got each other now. No one can keep sisters apart. Not for very long, anyway."

"No. Not for long." Trina looked back at the setting sun and Tori joined her. Within seconds, Trina's head had fallen to her shoulders. There was plenty for them to talk about. Whether it was upcoming marriages, or children being born, or even new relationships that were forming.

There was a lot to catch up on as well, and Tori was certain that they would, but tonight they didn't have to. They could stand for hours, silently gazing at the sunset and then the stars; there was no reason to say anything.

What was one single night, when they had the rest of their lives to be together and to talk?

"Tori?" Trina's voice trembled and tears slowly drifted from her eyes. She continued to gaze up at the sky, her body was relaxed and her shoulders had sloped downwards. "I love you."

Her heart rose and she turned her head sideways, taking in the moment in its fullest. "I love you too, Trina." She turned back to the brilliant, natural portrait before them and her smile deepened. "I love you too, and I'm glad you're here with me."

"Same. And Tori?"

"What?"

"I'm nervous. About the future. What do we do now? Where do I go from here?"

"We'll figure it out." It would be a rough road, but she'd do everything she could to help Trina get back where she needed to be. It was going to take years to recover, and even for her it would take years to bounce back from something that took such a toll on her emotions and her mentality. "I'm nervous too. Let's work on that together, and then, I think everything will be fine."

"One step at a time?"

"Yes." The worst was over, for both of them. While no one knew what the future held, there was one thing they could be certain of; they were safe. Holly could do no further damage. "All we have to do is live our lives a step at a time, the knots will work themselves out, and we can be happy."

Trina stepped closer to her and set her head onto her shoulder with a heavy sigh. This part of their lives, the hell they'd been through, it was finished and what had once been missing from their lives now filled the void that had once been left in their hearts.

* * *

The final chapter. I'm amazed and thrilled it was so enjoyed by everyone, and I thank everybody for their contributions along the way. Keep on the lookout for my other works, and new works to come. Thank you again, and without further ado, I hope you've enjoyed the final chapter.


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